Glutathione for Food and Health Applications with Emphasis on Extraction, Identification, and Quantification Methods: A Review

Abstract

Glutathione is a naturally occurring compound that plays a crucial role in the cellular response to oxidative stress through its ability to quench free radicals, thus mitigating the risk of potential damage, including cell death. While glutathione is endogenously present in different plants and animal cells, their concentration varies considerably. The alteration in glutathione homeostasis can be used as a potential marker for human diseases. In the case of the depletion of endogenous glutathione, exogenous sources can be used to replenish the pool. To this end, both natural and synthetic glutathione can be used. However, the health benefit of glutathione from natural sources derived from fruits and vegetables is still debated. There is increasingly growing evidence of the potential health benefits of glutathione in different diseases; however, the determination and in situ quantification of endogenously produced glutathione remains a major challenge. For this reason, it has been difficult to understand the bioprocessing of exogenously delivered glutathione in vivo. The development of an in situ technique will also aid in the routine monitoring of glutathione as a biomarker for different oxidative stress-mediated diseases. Furthermore, an understanding of the in vivo bioprocessing of exogenously delivered glutathione will also aid the food industry both towards improving the longevity and profile of food products and the development of glutathione delivery products for long-term societal health benefits. In this review, we surveyed the natural plant-derived sources of glutathione, the identification and quantification of extracted glutathione from these sources, and the role of glutathione in the food industry and its effect on human health.

Assessment of Popcorn’s Bioactive Status in Response to Popping

“…The flakes of H10 showed the largest reduction (80.61%), while the lowest reduction (63.61%) of GSH content was noticed in the flakes of H1 after popping, signifying it as an important genotype which retains, at the same time, a greater GSH pool after microwave popping and GSH source. This is an important trait, since it is well known that cereal grains are a low-GSH source in nutrition [ 23 ]. When compared to the kernels, the effect of popping led to an increased TPC content, being the most pronounced in flakes of H1 (4.27%) and the least pronounced in flakes of H12 (1.05%).…”

The Level of Fat- and Water-Soluble Antioxidants in Eggs of Free-Range Geese during a Production Season

“…Additionally, some reports have confirmed that ascorbic acid can enhance the immune response and antioxidant capacity of birds, especially under stress conditions (Shewita et al, 2019;Ahmadu et al, 2016;Barrio, et al, 2020). Glutathione is one of the essential natural antioxidants that can be linked to health-promoting effects on birds, humans, and plant life (Al-Temimi, et al, 2023).…”

Measurement and Correlation of Solubility of Glutathione in Four Binary Solvents from 278.15 to 318.15 K

“…70-18-8), and the content of GSH is approximately 90% and that of GSSG is approximately 10% in unstressed cells. 1 Owing to the presence of a thiol group (−SH), GSH possesses reducing properties and metal chelating abilities; hence, it is an important antioxidant in the human body. GSH plays a critical role in various physiological processes, such as the elimination of toxins, maintenance of redox balance, reduction of oxidative stress, and regulation of immune system functions.…”

“…Among them, the main active substance is GSH (Figure , CAS registry no. 70-18-8), and the content of GSH is approximately 90% and that of GSSG is approximately 10% in unstressed cells . Owing to the presence of a thiol group (–SH), GSH possesses reducing properties and metal chelating abilities; hence, it is an important antioxidant in the human body.…”