Glutathione plays important roles in antioxidant defense, nutrient metabolism, and regulation of cellular events (including gene expression, DNA and protein synthesis, cell proliferation and apoptosis, signal transduction, cytokine production and immune response, and protein glutathionylation); glutathione deficiency contributes to oxidative stress, which plays a key role in aging and the pathogenesis of many diseases (including kwashiorkor, seizure, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, HIV, AIDS, cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes).

Glutathione is a tripeptide cysteine-glycine-glutamic acid which exists in cells in the reduced form (this product) or oxidised form. Reduced glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant protecting cell components from endogenous and exogeneous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Reduced glutathione has also been intensely used in the affinity purification of proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST) tag. In the protein purification process, glutathione is used for the elution of GST-fused recombinant proteins from a glutathione-immobilised resins. In the elution buffers, reduced glutathione is typically used in the 10 – 40 mM concentration range.

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide (gamma-glutamylcysteinylglycine) widely distributed in both plants and animals. GSH serves as a nucleophilic co-substrate to glutathione transferases in the detoxification of xenobiotics and is an essential electron donor to glutathione peroxidases in the reduction of hydroperoxides. GSH is also involved in amino acid transport and maintenance of protein sulfhydryl reduction status. The concentration of GSH ranges from a few micromolar in plasma to several millimolar in tissues such as liver. Formal Name: L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinyl-glycine. CAS Number: 70-18-8. Synonyms: GSH. Molecular Formula: C10H17N3O6S. Formula Weight: 307.3. Purity: >99%. Formulation: A crystalline solid. Solubility: H2O: 20 mg/ml, PBS (pH 7.2): 10 mg/ml. SMILES: SC[C@H](NC(=O)CCC(N)C(=O)O)C(=O)NCC(=O)O. InChi Code: InChI=1S/C10H17N3O6S/c11-5(10(18)19)1-2-7(14)13-6(4-20)9(17)12-3-8(15)16/h5-6,20H,1-4,11H2,(H,12,17)(H,13,14)(H,15,16)(H,18,19)/t5?,6-/m0/s1. InChi Key: RWSXRVCMGQZWBV-GDVGLLTNSA-N. Origin: Synthetic.