Highlights
- Scientists found that infrared-treated humid air (also called Coherent Humidification, or CoHu) can help protect enzymes from damage caused by heat, oxidation, or chemicals.
- Instead of shining infrared light directly on water or proteins, researchers used humid air with tiny water droplets exposed to infrared energy — a process that creates more structured, energized water around enzymes.
- In the study, enzymes exposed to CoHu kept more of their normal activity even after stress: some regained up to 60% of their function after being damaged.
- The researchers believe this happens because structured water layers (Exclusion Zones) formed by CoHu may stabilize and energize proteins, helping them stay active and recover faster — a promising discovery for biology and biotechnology.
Preserving Enzymes with Infrared-Treated Humid Air: A New Frontier in Biophysics
The stability of enzymes (proteins) under stress conditions—such as heat, oxidation, and chemical denaturation—is crucial in both biological systems and biotechnological applications. A recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences introduces an innovative approach using infrared (IR)-treated humid air, also known as Coherent Humidification (CoHu), to mitigate enzyme (proteins) inactivation.
The Intervention: CoHu via Infrared-Irradiated Humidified Air
Instead of applying infrared light directly to water or protein solutions, this study employed humid air containing microdroplets of pure distilled water, irradiated with infrared energy at specific wavelengths. This treated airstream, termed CoHu, was produced using the NanoVi® device (Eng3 Corporation, Seattle, WA, USA), which emits IR radiation to induce changes in the physicochemical properties of the microdroplets.
Three key factors justified this method:
- Better Heat Dissipation – Microdroplets dissipate heat more rapidly than bulk water.
- Higher IR Absorption – Water vapor absorbs infrared energy more effectively than liquid water.
- Formation of Exclusion Zones (EZs) – Microdroplets have larger surface areas, favoring the generation of EZs, structured layers of water with unique properties.
- The authors hypothesize that these exclusion zones, energized by IR radiation, contribute to preserving enzyme (protein) structure and function under damaging conditions.
Study Results: CoHu Preserves Enzyme (protein) Activity Under Stress
The enzymatic activity of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and catalase (CAT) was evaluated under different stress conditions, comparing CoHu-treated samples with controls.
Heat Inactivation:
- HRP activity was partially preserved with CoHu treatment (24.9% pre-treatment; 14.9% post-treatment).
- ALP activity was enhanced by 130% after heat inactivation and CoHu treatment.
- CAT showed partial recovery of activity (+17.8% pre-; +13.4% post-treatment).
Oxidative Stress:
- HRP preserved 45.3% activity (pre) and 42.4% (post).
- ALP showed moderate recovery (18.1% pre; 19.8% post).
- CAT showed increased H₂O₂ consumption post-treatment, indicating enzyme reactivation.
Chemical Denaturation:
- HRP activity was restored to 53.4% (pre) and 60.9% (post).
- ALP recovered from 23.9% to 35.9% after CoHu exposure.
- These findings suggest that CoHu can help restore enzymatic function after damage without altering the activity of enzymes under normal conditions.
Authors’ Conclusions and Hypothesis
The researchers concluded that infrared-treated humid air does not affect normal enzyme (protein) performance but significantly helps restore function after thermal, oxidative, or chemical damage. They propose that exclusion zone (EZ) water formed under IR influence may act as an energy reservoir and antioxidant system, stabilizing proteins by supplying electrons and reducing molecular entropy.
Citing Gerald Pollack’s work on EZ water, the authors suggest that CoHu may enhance the cellular environment by promoting optimal hydration states around proteins. However, they emphasize the need for further studies, especially in vivo, to confirm these hypotheses and explore potential biomedical applications.
Reference: Yablonskaya OI, Voeikov VL, Novikov KN, Buravleva EV, Menshov VA, Trofimov AV. Effect of Humid Air Exposed to IR Radiation on Enzyme Activity. Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 6;23(2):601. doi: 10.3390/ijms23020601.
Figure 1. CoHu Does Not Alter Normal Enzyme Activity
Under normal (non-stress) conditions, exposure to infrared-treated humid air (CoHu) did not change enzyme activity for horseradish peroxidase (HRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), or catalase (CAT).
This shows that CoHu is gentle and non-disruptive, affecting enzymes only when they are under stress.
Source: Adapted from Yablonskaya et al., 2022.
Figure 2. CoHu Helps Protect Enzymes from Heat Damage
When enzymes were exposed to high temperatures, those treated with infrared-irradiated humid air (CoHu) retained more activity than untreated controls.
Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed partial to strong recovery, highlighting CoHu’s protective effect against heat stress.
Source: Adapted from Yablonskaya et al., 2022.
Figure 3. CoHu Restores Catalase Function After Oxidative Stress
Catalase (CAT) treated with CoHu showed a greater ability to break down hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) compared with controls, meaning more of the enzyme’s normal function was preserved even after oxidative damage.
This finding suggests CoHu may help reactivate enzymes that lose activity under stress.
Source: Adapted from Yablonskaya et al., 2022.
Link to full paper: Read the full publication here.