Hydrogen Nanobubble Water Shows Superior Antioxidant Power vs Regular H2
- Authors
- Shu Liu, Seiichi Oshita, Dang Quoc Thuyet, Masanao Saito, Takahiko Yoshimoto
- Journal
- Langmuir
- Year
- 2018
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02440
- Study Type
- Molecular Assay
- Outcome
- Neutral
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Cellular
TL;DR
Hydrogen-infused nanobubble water shows promise as a powerful antioxidant against certain harmful oxygen compounds, but it may also hinder the growth of barley seeds.
Key Finding
Hydrogen nanobubble water neutralized harmful reactive oxygen species more effectively than regular hydrogen water, but it also inhibited normal seed germination, indicating that its effects vary depending on cell type and biological context.
Summary
Researchers tested hydrogen nanobubbles (tiny hydrogen gas bubbles) dissolved in water to see how well they could neutralize harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS). They tested this both in laboratory conditions and in living barley seeds. Hydrogen nanobubble water was better at removing certain harmful ROS than regular hydrogen water, but it also slowed down normal seed germination, suggesting that its effects depend on the specific cell type and situation.
Practical Takeaway
This laboratory and plant-based study suggests hydrogen nanobubbles may have stronger antioxidant properties than regular hydrogen water, but the finding that it slowed normal seed growth raises questions about whether it could interfere with healthy cellular processes in humans. Much more research, including human studies, would be needed before drawing conclusions about health benefits. The study's use of barley seeds rather than human cells limits what we can infer about real-world applications.
Abstract
Hydrogen water as a new therapeutic antioxidant has been widely used in living organisms under stress. In this study, we applied nanobubble (NB) technology to hydrogen water. The antioxidant capacity of hydrogen NB water was studied with respect to different reactive oxygen species (ROS) both in vitro and in vivo. Using a relatively weak reduced dye, APF, we showed that hydrogen NB water can effectively remove three cytotoxic ROS, •OH, ClO-, and ONOO-, from water. Hydrogen NB water could also remove O2•-, which is a physiologically important ROS, from water. However, hydrogen water could not reduce other physiologically important ROS such as H2O2 and NO. At similar dissolved hydrogen concentrations, hydrogen NB water displayed higher antioxidant activity than hydrogen water without NB. Barley seed germination tests were used to study the antioxidant effect of hydrogen NB water on ROS generation in vivo. Our results showed that this decreased the physiological activity of barley seeds in their normal homeostatic state. Hydrogen NB water eliminated endogenous O2•- in seeds and inhibited germination. The usage of hydrogen NB water should be individually considered according to the types of cells involved. Our results offer basic data concerning the application of hydrogen NB water in different fields.