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Research hub

L-Glutathione Research Hub

L-Glutathione, a naturally occurring tripeptide, is composed of L-glutamate, L-cysteine, and glycine, and has been investigated in biochemical research for its molecular structure, redox chemistry, thiol-group reactivity, and interactions within controlled experimental systems.

  • L-Glutathione
  • Tripeptide
01

Technical Overview

L-Glutathione, which is generally known as reduced glutathione (GSH), is a tripeptide containing a thiol group and occurring naturally, made up of glutamic acid, cysteine and glycine. Different from ordinary peptide bonds, the glutamate and cysteine residues in this compound are joined together by a special γ-glutamyl bond, a significant feature of the molecule's structure.

A characteristic molecular feature of reduced glutathione is the sulfhydryl (–SH) group on its cysteine residue. This reactive thiol group plays a key role in the redox chemistry that is studied in laboratory models and enables GSH to take part in reversible oxidation–reduction reactions. The reduced form may be oxidised to glutathione disulfide (GSSG), thus providing a widely researched biochemical system for the examination of cellular redox processes.

Experimental research also examines glutathione in its role as a cofactor and as a molecular substrate in enzyme-catalyzed reactions, such as peroxide reduction, conjugation reactions, and protein disulfide rearrangement. Because of these properties, L-Glutathione has become a well-established material for use in biochemical research, particularly for investigating thiol chemistry, redox mechanisms, enzymatic pathways and cellular biochemical processes under controlled laboratory conditions.

02

Chemical Classification

Chemical Name
γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine
Common Name(s)
L-Glutathione; Glutathione; Reduced Glutathione
Molecular Formula
C₁₀H₁₇N₃O₆S
Molecular Weight
307.32 g/mol
CAS Number
70-18-8
Amino Acid Sequence
γ-L-Glu-L-Cys-Gly
Purity
99.3%
Compound Class
Tripeptide
03

Molecular Characteristics

L-glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide of low molecular weight made up of L-glutamate, L-cysteine and glycine; its distinctive structural feature is the unusual γ-glutamyl bond, in which the side-chain carboxyl group of glutamate takes part in a peptide bond with the amino group of cysteine, thus setting it apart from peptides which have only ordinary α-peptide bonds.

The thiol (sulfhydryl) group present in the cysteine residue is one of the molecule's most important chemical properties. The thiol group is capable of reversible oxidation, which allows two molecules of reduced glutathione to combine and form glutathione disulfide (GSSG) via a disulfide bond. This GSH/GSSG relationship has been widely studied in biochemical redox research.

Since glutathione has several ionizable functional groups, the charge of its molecule and its chemical behaviour are strongly influenced by the pH and the surrounding conditions. The presence of these polar functional groups is what gives it solubility in water and enables it to interact with enzymes and other biomolecules. Because of these molecular properties, L-glutathione has become a widely studied reference compound in studies involving thiol chemistry, redox reactions, and enzyme-mediated biochemical processes.

04

Mechanism Under Investigation

L-Glutathione (GSH) is mainly studied for its involvement in cellular redox chemistry and in biochemical reactions that depend on thiols. The cysteine residue in it has a reactive sulfhydryl group which can take part in electron-transfer reactions. When it is oxidized, reduced glutathione can become glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and glutathione reductase is able to catalyse the transformation of GSSG back into GSH by using reducing equivalents from NADPH. The reversible GSH/GSSG system is one that is extensively examined in the context of cellular redox regulation.

GSH also acts as a substrate or cofactor in a number of enzyme-driven pathways; glutathione peroxidases catalyse reactions in which GSH and peroxide substrates are involved, leading to the formation of GSSG, and glutathione S-transferases enable the conjugation of glutathione with different electrophilic compounds. These reactions have been widely studied using biochemical and cellular models.

Further research looks at protein S-glutathionylation, a reversible modification.

This involves the formation of mixed disulfides between glutathione and the cysteine residues of a protein. The purpose of studying this process is to examine its potential role in regulating protein function and in redox-sensitive signaling pathways.

When combined, these processes make L-glutathione a useful experimental substance for the controlled laboratory study of thiol chemistry, enzymatic conjugation, redox reactions, and protein modification.

This summary reflects findings reported in published preclinical and in vitro research. The original studies supporting this information are listed in the references.

05

Experimental Research Areas

01

Redox Chemistry

L-Glutathione (GSH) is widely studied in research into cellular redox processes since its cysteine thiol group is capable of reversible oxidation. Experimental models usually look at the relationship between reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG), covering the factors that affect their formation, regeneration, and equilibrium under controlled conditions.

02

Enzyme-Mediated Reactions

GSH is used as both a substrate and a cofactor in enzymatic systems which include glutathione peroxidases, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferases. Such models enable researchers to investigate the reaction kinetics, the interactions of the substrate, and the molecular mechanisms that control glutathione-dependent biochemical pathways.

03

Protein S-Glutathionylation

A different area of research looks at S-glutathionylation, which is a reversible form of post-translational modification involving glutathione and the cysteine residues in proteins. Studies carried out in the laboratory look into how this modification affects protein structure, activity, and the molecular signalling that is sensitive to redox conditions.

04

Conjugation and Molecular Interactions

Glutathione is widely studied in its conjugation reactions with electrophilic molecules, with experimental investigations looking at both enzyme-catalysed and non-enzymatic interactions in order to characterise the reaction mechanisms, molecular selectivity, and the subsequent processing of the glutathione conjugates.

05

Oxidative Stress Models

Researchers frequently use GSH in in vitro and cellular oxidative-stress models to investigate changes in thiol oxidation, redox balance and associated biochemical pathways following controlled experimental challenges. Measurements of GSH, GSSG and their relative abundance are commonly incorporated into these studies.

06

Analytical and Biochemical Method Development

L-Glutathione is also used in the development and validation of analytical methods for thiol-containing compounds. Research may employ HPLC, LC-MS, spectrophotometric or fluorescence-based techniques to investigate glutathione concentration, oxidation state, stability and interactions within experimental samples.

06

Analytical Verification

The analysis of L-Glutathione generally involves the use of a number of complementary methods in order to establish its identity, purity, and chemical integrity. HPLC may be employed to determine the chromatographic purity and to identify any related impurities or degradation products, whereas mass spectrometry (MS) is used to confirm the molecular mass. Further tests to establish identity can make use of infrared (IR) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in order to characterise the structural features. Since reduced glutathione (GSH) can be oxidised to form glutathione disulfide (GSSG), the analytical methods may also be used to tell the reduced form apart from the oxidised one. Testing specific to each batch together with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) form the proper foundation for reporting the verified purity, identity and other quality parameters for research material.

Certificate of Analysis
Batch20260810045
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HPLC
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07

Storage & Handling

L-Glutathione in its reduced form (GSH) is sensitive to oxidation, moisture, and environmental conditions. The batch-specific product documentation should be used as the primary reference for the applicable storage conditions.

Keep the material in a tightly sealed, dry container and protect it from unnecessary exposure to air, heat, and humidity. Reduced glutathione can undergo oxidation to form glutathione disulfide (GSSG), with solution stability influenced by factors including pH, temperature, concentration and experimental conditions.

Batch-specific storage information, together with the applicable Certificate of Analysis and Safety Data Sheet (SDS), provides the relevant documentation for maintaining the chemical integrity of the research material.

Supplied as Lyophilized Powder
Storage 2–8°C, away from light
Reconstitution Sterile diluent
08

Questions researchers ask

L-Glutathione is a tripeptide that occurs in nature and is made up of three amino acid components: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. In the field of biochemistry, the reduced form of it is usually referred to as GSH and is widely studied in the areas of redox and thiol chemistry.

This substance is only to be used in research. L-glutathione cannot be used for any purpose in humans or animals, including ingestion, administration, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or cure of any medical condition or disease. It is only available for use in laboratory and analytical research. Only the compound's chemical, molecular, analytical, and experimental research properties are covered in this page. The substance's safety, efficacy, therapeutic benefits, or suitability for any clinical application should not be inferred from any references to published research, biochemical pathways, or experimental results.

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L-Glutathione from Peptide Works