OXIDATIVE PATHWAY RESEARCH

Glutathione: Master Antioxidant in Cellular Research

Velox Peptides Research Team·Published May 2026·6 min read
CAS Number
70-18-8
Sequence
γ-Glu-Cys-Gly
Key Pathway
Cellular redox / antioxidant
HPLC Purity
≥99.2% (batch-verified)
For in vitro research use only. Glutathione is supplied solely as a research reagent for in vitro use and is not for human or veterinary consumption.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide composed of glutamate, cysteine and glycine, found in virtually all cells and often described as the cell’s “master antioxidant.” It is the most abundant intracellular antioxidant and a central player in maintaining the cell’s redox balance — its internal chemical equilibrium between oxidising and reducing conditions.

The reactive thiol (−SH) group on its cysteine residue is what gives glutathione its antioxidant function, allowing it to neutralise reactive oxygen species and to cycle between its reduced (GSH) and oxidised (GSSG) forms.

Redox cycling and oxidative-stress research

The GSH/GSSG cycle. Glutathione protects cells by donating electrons to neutralise reactive oxygen species, becoming oxidised (GSSG) in the process and then being recycled back to its reduced form (GSH) by the enzyme glutathione reductase. The ratio of GSH to GSSG is widely used in research as a marker of a cell’s oxidative-stress state.

Enzymatic antioxidant defence. Glutathione is the substrate for glutathione peroxidase, a key enzyme in detoxifying peroxides. Preclinical models study glutathione in the context of oxidative damage, detoxification pathways and cellular stress responses.

Research context

Glutathione is frequently studied alongside GHK-Cu and NAD+ in oxidative-pathway research, where each engages a distinct facet of cellular redox and antioxidant biology. See the GHK-Cu research overview for a related copper-tripeptide mechanism.

Velox Peptides supply information

Velox Peptides supplies Glutathione (reduced, GSH) as a lyophilised powder at ≥99.2% HPLC-verified purity with a batch certificate of analysis available on request. For reconstitution, see the reconstitution calculator. Supplied strictly as a research reagent for in vitro use.

References & further reading

  1. Meister A, Anderson ME. “Glutathione.” Annual Review of Biochemistry, 1983.
  2. Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A. “Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis.” Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 2009.

Summaries are paraphrased from the peer-reviewed literature. For full source citations, email veloxpeps@gmail.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is Glutathione?
Glutathione (GSH) is an endogenous tripeptide antioxidant central to cellular redox balance. Velox Peptides supplies it as a research reagent for in vitro use only.
Why is the GSH/GSSG ratio important in research?
The ratio of reduced (GSH) to oxidised (GSSG) glutathione is a widely used marker of a cell’s oxidative-stress state.
What purity is Velox Peptides Glutathione?
Glutathione is HPLC-verified at a minimum of 99.2% purity, with batch documentation available on request.
Is Glutathione legal to buy in the UK?
Yes — for in vitro research purposes. Velox Peptides supplies it solely as a research reagent, not for human or veterinary use.
Compliance statement. Velox Peptides supplies research reagents for in vitro use by qualified researchers. Every compound is sold strictly as a research reagent. No product is a medicinal product within the meaning of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. No product has been evaluated by the MHRA or FDA. No product is intended for human or veterinary consumption, diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any condition. Any use outside lawful scientific research is outside the scope of sale. See our Research Use Policy and MHRA Statement.

All research summaries on this page are derived from publicly available peer-reviewed literature. Velox Peptides makes no therapeutic claims. For research use only.