Molecular Structure Explorer
Glutathione
Structure of the compound covered in this guide.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Cleared Peptides research team
Research use only. Glutathione (Reduced GSH): Research Guide is supplied for laboratory research. It is not a drug, food, cosmetic, or dietary supplement. It is not FDA-approved. It is not for human or veterinary administration. This page does not give a dose or a method of administration. A study cited on this page describes that study’s own test article. It does not make this lot an approved medicine. To check a fact, open the PubMed or DOI link, confirm the authors and year, and match the paper’s compound name, CAS number, or sequence to the specification table. The full method is on the research desk page. Identity and purity for a lot are only what that lot’s certificate of analysis reports. An HPLC percentage is not a sterility result and not an endotoxin result unless the certificate prints those tests.
Reduced glutathione (GSH) is the tripeptide γ-L-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine and the most abundant low-molecular-weight thiol in animal cells. Its unusual γ-peptide bond between glutamate and cysteine protects it from ordinary peptidases.
Glutathione Structure and Identifiers
| Name | Glutathione (reduced) |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | GSH; γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine |
| CAS number | 70-18-8 |
| PubChem CID | 124886 |
| Molecular formula | C10H17N3O6S |
| Molecular weight | ≈307.3 g/mol |
| Sequence | γ-Glu-Cys-Gly |
| Form | White powder |
Redox Chemistry
The cysteine thiol of GSH is oxidized to form glutathione disulfide (GSSG). The GSH/GSSG ratio is a standard indicator of cellular redox state, and GSH is the substrate for glutathione peroxidases and glutathione S-transferases.
Laboratory Applications
- GSH/GSSG ratio measurements
- Glutathione peroxidase and S-transferase assays
- Reducing agent in protein biochemistry
This summary describes laboratory research only and makes no claim about effects in humans or animals.
Purity Testing and Storage
Every lot of Glutathione supplied by Cleared Peptides is tested by an independent laboratory for identity and purity (or composition, for multi-component preparations), and the lot Certificate of Analysis is published on our COA page. Store Glutathione sealed at −20 °C, dry and protected from light. Handle according to your institution’s chemical-hygiene procedures.
Research materials referenced in this guide
Analytical testing notes for Glutathione (reduced)
Glutathione (reduced) is identified in this guide as CAS 70-18-8, formula C10H17N3O6S, listed mass ≈307.3 g/mol. The sequence recorded here is γ-Glu-Cys-Gly. An identity test compares a measurement with those values. A mass spectrum is the usual measurement for a peptide. FTIR, when a certificate uses it, is a supporting infrared fingerprint and is less specific for closely related sequences.
Glutathione (reduced) is a short peptide. Short, polar sequences retain weakly on C18 unless the mobile phase contains an ion-pairing acid such as trifluoroacetic acid. Detection is usually ultraviolet at 214 nm, because many of these sequences have no tryptophan or tyrosine and are nearly silent at 280 nm. Mass spectrometry, and MS/MS when isomers are plausible, is what distinguishes one short sequence from another with a similar retention time.
HPLC purity for this material is an area-percent result at the wavelength and gradient the laboratory states, commonly ultraviolet detection near 214 nm on a reversed-phase column. The instrument is a gradient pump, injector, column oven, and UV or diode-array detector. That percentage is not the number of milligrams in the vial. Water, acetate, trifluoroacetate, and other UV-silent material can dominate the gross weight while the purity figure stays high. Net peptide content, from an assay or amino-acid analysis, is the separate result to read when the certificate reports it.
A sterility test and an endotoxin test are not included in a chemical purity result. The compendial sterility test is a culture method (USP <71>): membrane filtration or direct inoculation into fluid thioglycollate medium and soybean-casein digest medium, incubated for 14 days. A PCR sterility screen uses a thermal cycler to detect microbial DNA and is a different method. The endotoxin test (USP <85> LAL, or USP <86> recombinant Factor C) reports endotoxin units with an incubating reader or a cartridge reader. Use a result only when that method is printed on the lot certificate. One published example in this catalog states that the report does not cover microbial contamination or endotoxins. The full description of equipment, standards, and how US laboratory accreditation works is in peptide analytical testing. Lot records are on the COA page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GSH and GSSG?
GSH is reduced glutathione; GSSG is the oxidized disulfide formed from two GSH molecules.
Is Glutathione for human use?
No. Cleared Peptides supplies Glutathione for laboratory research use only; it is not for human or veterinary use.
Selected References
Peer-reviewed literature on the compounds discussed in this guide, listed as scientific background for laboratory researchers. Citation does not imply endorsement by the authors or any use other than in-vitro research.
- Meister A. Glutathione metabolism. Methods Enzymol. 1995;251:3-7. PubMed 7651209 · DOI
- Bachhawat AK, et al. The glutathione cycle: Glutathione metabolism beyond the γ-glutamyl cycle. IUBMB Life. 2018;70(7):585-592. PubMed 29667297 · DOI
- Ribas V, et al. Glutathione and mitochondria. Front Pharmacol. 2014;5:151. PubMed 25024695 · DOI
Laboratory note: solubility depends on salt form and solvent. This guide does not state a single solubility figure. Handling of lyophilized material is described in the peptide storage guide.
Research Use Only Notice
This guide is provided for educational and laboratory reference purposes. It summarizes published, primarily in-vitro and structural research literature and does not describe, recommend or imply any use in humans or animals. Products sold by Cleared Peptides are for laboratory research use only; they are not drugs, foods, cosmetics or dietary supplements, are not FDA-approved, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease. No dosing, administration or therapeutic information is provided.
