• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2006

This study was designed to investigate the optimum manufacturing condition of germanium-fortified yeast, and the binding properties of germanium (Ge) in germanium-fortified yeast. The nutritional optimum conditions were glucose 3.0 (w/v) %, yeast extracts 0.3 (w/v) % and peptone 0.5 (w/v) %, and the amounts of yeast cells were 67.4 mg/ml. And, the standard germanium-fortified yeast was produced under the condition at the ratio of yeast cell and germanium solution was 1 : 0.5 (50%), pH 6.5 and $35-40^{\circ}C$ during fermentation. In results of the identification, binding of germanium-protein showed structural difference between the inorganic Ge $(GeO_2)$ added during fermentation process and germanium-fortified yeast. Therefore, germanium-fortified yeast made by biosynthetic technology formed structurally safe organic germanium during fermentation process. Germanium-fortified yeast can be applied as a new functional material far the improvement of health, the prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative disease like cancer, and the enforcement of immune system.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.712-716
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• 2006

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii were electrofused and fermented in germaniumfortified nutrients to produce high-yield, organic germanium. The conditions for the preparation of protoplasts from both strains and for electrofusion were studied. The protoplasts of both cells formed long pearl chains and the cell membranes were lysed and fused through cellulase and high frequency voltage $(450{\sim}750V/128{\sim}512\;{\mu}sec)$. The fusants with the fastest growth were selected, and then characterized for their carbohydrate usage and tolerance to glucose and salts. The glucose tolerance of the fusants was better than that of S. cerevisiae and similar to that of Z. rouxii. The fusants appeared to have resistance to 12% NaCl. The cell size of the fusants was greater than that of the parental strains. The fusant cells contained more gemlanium than the parental cells did. The electrofusion of S. cerevisiae and Z. rouxii increased the cell capacity and accumulation of germanium in the yeasts. This method was proved to be effective to produce a high quantity of organic germanium.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.3113-3116
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• 2009

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.549-557
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• 2010

This study was established on which germanium (Ge), known as one of the functional nutrients, treatment is the most effective method for increasing Ge uptake and contributing flowering development in the pruned branches in the winter. Ge treatment included foliar application, soil fertigation, trunk injection, and the three-combined application. Ge concentration in the pruned branches was greater on the three-combined treated trees, and Ge treated branches had greater Ge concentrations than the control. Pruned branches grown in the solution culture had greater bud weight and bud scale number on the Ge treated trees than the control. Ge treatments increased flowering per branch and flower number per bud as well as improved resistance of the freezing temperature damage. Overall, there were no consistent results of all the variables by the Ge application methods.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.273-282
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of germanium (Ge) application types on the nutrient concentrations in soil and leaves and leaf characteristics in a 'Niitaka' pear orchard in 2004. Ge application included foliar application, fertigation in soils, trunk injection, and the three-combined application. All Ge treatedplots had lower soil $NO_3$-N, K, and Ca concentrations than those of control plot. Ge concentrations in Ge treated-soils were approximately 50 times higher than those of the control. Ge applications significantly increased area, dry weight, and specific weight in leaves compared to the control. Control treated-trees had greater K concentrations in leaves than the Ge treated-trees, which was oppositively observed for the leaf Ca; leaf Ca was higher on the Ge treated-trees than control. Leaf Ge concentrations were significantly higher on the Ge treated-trees compared to the control, except for the Ge fertigation. Ge concentrations in fruits were greater on the Ge-treated trees than the control trees.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.84-87
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• 2006

In the present study, an attempt has been made to produce a high quality medicinal mushroom Cordycops militaris supplemented with organic Ge. Cordycops militaris was cultivated in SDAY liquid medium containing yeast extract 10 g, peptone 10 g, glucose 40 g per liter and chrysalis media supplemented with inorganic Ge at 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 ppm concentrations. The greatest organic Ge production of 442.4 ppm/g and 284 ppm/g were observed in SDAY liquid and Chrysalis media cultures supplemented with 100 ppm inorganic Ge respectively. Similarly, 4,509.7 ppm/g and 1,058 ppm/g of organic Ge were obtained from liquid and chrysalis media cultures supplemented with 5,000 ppm and 1,000 ppm inorganic Ge, respectively. In addition, higher concentration of organic Ge was obtained in mycelia than fruiting bodies. These results indicate that the concentration of organic Ge increase with decreasing inorganic Ge concentration in the medium. This is the first report on production of high valuable Cordyceps militaris contained with organic Ge.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-190
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• 2008

In order to obtain the basic information for agricultural utilization of Germanium(Ge), the growth characteristics and the germanium uptake by water celery were investigated at different concentration of germanium in soil. This experiment was carried out in the Wagner pot(1 $5,000^{-1}a$). Germanium concentrations in soil for water celery cultivation were maintained at 0.26, 25.0, 62.5, and 125.0 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively. The treatment of over Ge 25.0 mg $kg^{-1}$ in the soil led to germanium phytotoxicity such as reduction of plant height and fresh weight. The contents of germanium in water celery were increased with the increase of germanium concentration in the soil. When water celery was cultivated from soil maintained with Ge 25.0 and 62.5 mg $kg^{-1}$, its germanium contents in plant were 89.9 and 371.6 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Then, the efficiency of germanium uptake of water celery in Ge 25.0 and 62.5 mg $kg^{-1}$ maintained plots was 1.7 and 2.4%, respectively. When water celery was cultivated from soil maintained with Ge 25.0, 62.5 and 125.0 mg $kg^{-1}$, its content of amino acid was found to be 89.8, 198.4, and 318.2 mg $g^{-1}$, respectively. To investigate the effect of N fertilizer application in uptake of germanium by water celery, these were treated with nontreatment, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 times of N application based on soil testing for cultivation of water celery. However, the amount of the N fertilizer application did not affect the contents of germanium in the water celery. When water celery was cultivated from soil maintained with two kinds of inorganic and organic germanium 50 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively, the content of germanium were 24.2 mg $kg^{-1}$ in the Ge-132 treatment and 11.8 mg $kg^{-1}$ in the $GeO_2$ treatment.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.465-472
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• 2011

To investigate the effect of inorganic ($GeO_2$) and organic (Ge-132) germanium treatment on Brasica juncea C. plant, growth characteristics and Ge contents were examined with various inorganic or organic germanium treatments (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and $100mg\;L^{-1}$), respectively. Brasica juncea C. growth did not much inhibited until Ge $10mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration under both Ge-132 and $GeO_2$ treatments as compared to control. On the other hand, at Ge concentration higher than $25mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration, Brasica juncea C. growth was inhibited under both Ge-132 and $GeO_2$ treatments. Under treatment of $GeO_2$, length of root and shoot slightly increased until $5mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration and dry weight slightly increased until $10mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration. Under treatment of Ge-132, length of root and shoot slightly increased until $10mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration and dry weight slightly increased until $25mg\;L^{-1}$ concentration. Total Ge contents in Brasica juncea C. early seedlings with $GeO_2$ treatment were a bit higher than those with Ge-132 treatment. Germanium was primarily accumulated in the roots (77%) with organic Ge (Ge-132) treatments, whereas Ge was primarily accumulated in the leaf (70%, respectively) with $GeO_2$ treatments. The Ge uptake rates in inorganic Ge treatments were slightly high than those in organic Ge treatments. Under inorganic Ge treatment with $2.5mg\;L^{-1}$, about 3% of Ge was accumulated into plant and distribution in leaf and root was 84.8% and 15.2%, respectively. Under organic Ge treatment with $2.5mg\;L^{-1}$, about 2.6% of Ge was accumulated into plant and distribution in leaf and root was 66.4% and 33.6%, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.163-172
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate that inorganic germanium $(GeO_2)$ did not exist in germanium-fortified yeast or obtained to non-detectable value by current analytical methods and equipments. For this purpose, we achieved $GeO_2$ qualitative analysis protocol which could be the scientific basis of the study. Since reddish brown precipitate was formed from the reaction of $GeO_2$ with 1 equiv $NaBH_4$, and dark brown precipitate was also formed from the reaction of $GeO_2$ with 2 equiv $NaBH_4$, $GeO_2$ was qualitatively analyzed by observing these particular colored-precipitates. Because no color change was showed from the reaction between $NaBH_4$ and $SiO_2$, the color change could be caused by charge transfer transition on Ge-O and B binding properties. The reaction between $NaBH_4$ and germanium-fortified yeast did not show any color change and precipitate formation which meant no $GeO_2$ existed in germanium-fortified yeast. The reaction between $NaBH_4$ and supernatant specimen collected from the outside of dialysis membrane (MWCO 1,200 dalton) did not show any color change and precipitate formation. Therefore, we considered that the both germaniums in and outside of the dialysis membrane were organic germaniums. Germanium-fortified yeast which was biosynthesized organic germanium can be applied not only as a new functional material for improving health, prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative diseases including cancers, and the regulation of immune system, but also as a new materials.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.193-197
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• 1981

Germanium (Ge) content in Zingiberis Rhizoma was determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrometry with a graphite tube atomizer. The Ge content of the cortical layer was 65.mu.g/g, the central cylinder, $98\mu$g/g and the total, $87\mu$g/g. In the effect of the extraction of Ge by various solvents, polar solvent was more effective than the nonpolar one, Especially, water was the most effective solvent. The water extract of Zingiberis Rhizoma, separated by sephadex G-25 gel filtration, was fractionated into 2 peaks at 254nm. Both the peaks showed atomic absorptions of Ge. It may be concluded that the Ge components of Zingiberis Rbizoma exist as the form of an aqueous organic compounds or associated forms with proteins.