Silicates comprise a
mineral family and are among the most abundant components of the earth’s
surface. Natural amorphous and crystallized silicates line rivers, glacier
streams and marine environments. Weathering, pressure, ionic conditions and
temperatures through the ages produce a variety of soluble silicate
derivatives. Numerous water sources including glacial rock suspensions have
been analyzed for their silicate structures and mineral compositions (1,2). In
particular, various mineral water sources and glacier regions have been linked
to the health of the inhabitants who have depended on them for their drinking
water (3,4). Some of the relationships between geochemical environment, health
and disease are well documented such as iodine deficiency leading to diseases
of the thyroid (i.e. goiter, hypothyroidism, cretinism, and increased risk of
thyroid cancer) (3). Numerous minerals are now realized to perform vital
functions as cofactors and provide numerous structural and functional roles
within cells and tissues. Recent evidence suggests that geochemical
environments of water sources have a profound influence on the level of health
in humans and animals (3-5).
Silicates tend to
structurally arrange water molecules up to three layers (wetting). In the
presence of molecular water, the silanol groups of small silicates ionize,
producing mobile protons that associate/dissociate with the surface to impart
an electrical conductivity to the surface that attracts minerals and ions as
shown in Figure 1 (1). These layers have been further described as the omega
(o-innermost water layer), beta (ß- second water layer) and delta (d-outermost
water layer) (Figure 1). The resulting surface-solution interface that exists
at wetted mineral surfaces is called the electrical double layer or zeta
potential. It is this characteristic that tends to transport small ions,
minerals and electrolytes (i.e. hydrogen, iron, magnesium, calcium, and
sodium, etc.) (1,8,9). These SiOH groups and the resulting water arrangements
tend to cage or sieve minerals. They also hold hydrogen atoms within these
structures (1,9,10). When hydrogen is further reduced a biological antioxidant
property is maintained in the silicate mineral particle.
Methods
All capsules used in
antioxidant and reduction analyses contained 250 mg of the naturally occurring
food grade silica, potassium carbonate, magnesium sulfate and fatty acids
developed by a proprietary process in a base of rice powder and were made
available by Royal BodyCare, Inc. of Irving, Texas as its product
Microhydrin®.
Reduction Assays With Microhydrin
When the reduced hydrogen silicate mineral (Microhydrin) was dissolved or suspended in phosphate-buffered saline, pH 7.4, it directly reduced both cytochrome c and NAD+ indicating its strong reducing capacities (antioxidant). When assayed in the standard assay for superoxide dismutase activity based upon the reduction of cytochrome c by xanthine oxidase/xanthine, it reduced cytochrome c. These overall reactions, the reduction of cytochrome c (Cyt c) and the reduction of NAD+ by the reduced hydrogen silicate mineral (Mic) are shown below. NAD+ reduction will be presented in detail later.
Mic(H:-)
+ Cyt c(Fe+3) ½ Mic + Cyt c(Fe+2) + H+
and 2Mic(H:-) + NAD+ ½ 2Mic + NADH + H+