Also known as: GSH
Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide (glutamate, cysteine, glycine) made in all eukaryotic cells and the main intracellular redox buffer. Research includes small human supplementation trials, a 2025 meta-analysis, and animal and cell studies.
Established: glutathione is synthesized only in the cytosol, is transported between organelles and organs with the liver central, and serves as a cofactor for glutathione peroxidases (peroxide reduction), glutathione-S-transferases (conjugation) and glutaredoxins (thiol-disulfide exchange) [1]. Proposed: in animal and cell models, supplied glutathione raised tissue GSH and lowered oxidative-stress markers, with authors citing NOX4/NF-κB and mitochondrial pathways [5][6].
| Study | Model | Reported result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month oral glutathione trial [2] | Human 54 non-smoking adults, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6 months plus 1-month washout | Primary measure: glutathione levels in blood, erythrocytes, plasma, lymphocytes and buccal cells; immune markers in a subset. Published. | Peer-reviewed European Journal of Nutrition 2015 |
| Liposomal glutathione pilot study [3] | Human 12 healthy adults, pilot, two intake levels compared, 1 month | Measured glutathione in whole blood, erythrocytes, plasma and PBMCs, oxidative-stress markers, and NK-cell and lymphocyte activity. Published. | Peer-reviewed European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2018 |
| Meta-analysis of glutathione supplementation trials [4] | Review Systematic review of randomized controlled trials; 5 included, 3 pooled | Pooled outcome: glutathione levels in erythrocytes and plasma versus placebo. Published. | Peer-reviewed Journal of Current Science and Technology 2025 |
| Glutathione in a rat thioacetamide model [5] | Rat Thioacetamide-induced acute liver and brain-function model, oral GSH | Researchers reported better behavioral scores, restored liver and cortical GSH and cysteine, and lower brain glutamine and NOX4/NF-κB p65. | Peer-reviewed Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024 |
| Exogenous GSH in oxidatively stressed gut cells [6] | Cell Porcine IPEC-J2 intestinal cells exposed to 500 μM H2O2, then GSH | H2O2 cut viability by about 50%; 1.6 mM GSH restored near-normal viability, lowered ROS and MDA, and restored mitochondrial membrane potential. | Peer-reviewed Molecules 2022 |
| Glutathione in a mouse arsenic-exposure model [7] | Mouse 36 female mice, arsenic in drinking water, then glutathione or a GSH-depleting agent | Glutathione raised blood and liver GSH and antioxidant capacity, lowered liver arsenic species and increased urinary arsenic methylation. | Peer-reviewed Journal of Toxicological Sciences 2015 |
Human trials are listed for research context only; outcomes are reported in the linked publications. Animal and lab results do not establish effects in humans.
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