Hydrogen Nanobubbles Remove Free Radicals Better Than Regular Hydrogen
- Authors
- You Zhang, Wenhong Fan, Xiaomin Li, Wen-Xiong Wang, Shu Liu
- Journal
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1021/acs.est.2c03707
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Oxidative Stress
- Body System
- Cellular
TL;DR
Tiny hydrogen-filled bubbles were found to be effective at neutralizing harmful oxygen particles that can cause inflammation and aging.
Key Finding
Hydrogen nanobubbles removed harmful free radicals 8 to 240 times more effectively than dissolved hydrogen molecules alone, depending on the type of free radical.
Summary
Researchers tested a new form of hydrogen called hydrogen nanobubbles (extremely tiny hydrogen bubbles) to see if they could remove harmful molecules called free radicals that damage cells. Using a single-celled organism as a test model, they found that hydrogen nanobubbles removed certain types of free radicals much more effectively than regular dissolved hydrogen water, and they also boosted the cell's natural defense systems against oxidative stress (cellular damage from free radicals).
Practical Takeaway
This laboratory study in single-celled organisms suggests hydrogen nanobubbles may be more effective than regular hydrogen water at combating free radicals, but the research is very early-stage and has not been tested in humans. More research is needed to determine whether these results would apply to human health.
Abstract
Elevated levels of reactive oxygen radicals caused by environmental stress are the key triggers of inflammation, aging, and disease; thus, it is critical to develop novel reactive oxygen radical scavenging methods with high efficiency and low toxicity. As a result of their selective reactive oxygen radical removal, hydrogen molecules are strong candidates, but their application is limited by the small hydrogen supply and short duration of action. In this study, we for the first time combined nanobubble (NB) technology and hydrogen water to remove reactive oxygen species (ROS) using copper ions as a representative environmental pollutant and Tetrahymena thermophila as a model organism. Hydrogen NBs displayed a remarkable capability of removing H2O2 and O2•- at molar ratios of 8:1 and 240:1, respectively, which were unable to be removed by dissolved hydrogen molecules only. During the oxidative defense phase, hydrogen NB water either directly removed ROS or increased the activity and relative expression of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). During the oxidative inhibition phase, hydrogen NB water exerted antioxidant effects mainly by increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase and GSH-Px as well as the expression of the corresponding genes. Our results provide an important theoretical support for the wide application of hydrogen NBs in empowering the antioxidant defense system.