A quiet analytical research laboratory at night, racks of glass vials along a dim bench.

Glutathione

Glutathione is the main intracellular antioxidant, and one of the most contested oral supplements. A single oral dose does not raise plasma glutathione; six months of daily dosing raised body stores in one trial. The molecule also oxidizes readily in products. Vegalab's Glutathione Nano program targets both gaps.

Molecule and pharmacology

Glutathione (gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine, 307.3 Da) is a water-soluble tripeptide made in every cell. Its unusual gamma-glutamyl bond resists most peptidases, but gamma-glutamyltransferase on the intestinal brush border and in tissues cleaves it. Cells rebuild it from cysteine, glutamate and glycine. In storage and in solution, reduced glutathione (GSH) oxidizes to glutathione disulfide (GSSG), reducing the active fraction. Because glutathione synthesis is limited by cysteine, many researchers favor precursor strategies such as NAC over direct supplementation.

Evidence tier

Human: a single 3 g oral dose did not raise plasma glutathione. A four-week trial found no change in oxidative stress markers. A six-month randomized trial reported increased glutathione in blood, erythrocytes and buccal cells, and liposomal and sublingual formats have small positive studies. The evidence is mixed and dose and duration dependent. There are no approved drug uses for oral glutathione. Most positive studies use daily dosing for months and measure body stores rather than clinical outcomes.

Regulatory status

United States: sold as a dietary supplement ingredient. EU: permitted in food supplements in some member states under national rules. Topically, glutathione is used as a cosmetic ingredient. Injectable glutathione marketed for skin lightening has drawn regulator warnings in several countries and is outside anything Vegalab supports. Not on the WADA Prohibited List. Cosmetic use is governed by cosmetic claim rules, and oral use by supplement rules in each market.

Key facts

A single 3 g oral dose of glutathione did not increase circulating glutathione (Witschi et al. 1992, Eur J Clin Pharmacol 43:667)
Oral glutathione 500 mg twice daily for 4 weeks did not change oxidative stress biomarkers (Allen and Bradley 2011, J Altern Complement Med 17:827)
Daily oral glutathione for 6 months increased body glutathione stores (Richie et al. 2015, Eur J Nutr 54:251)
Liposomal glutathione raised glutathione stores and altered immune markers in a pilot study (Sinha et al. 2018, Eur J Clin Nutr 72:105)

How our delivery technology applies

Two delivery problems define glutathione: oxidation to GSSG on the shelf and enzymatic cleavage at the brush border. A multi-layer biopolymer shell limits oxygen and moisture contact during storage, keeping the reduced form, and can release the payload gradually along the small intestine rather than all at once. Glutathione Nano is designed to test whether this improves the absorbed reduced fraction compared with plain and liposomal forms.

Discuss Glutathione Nano licensing or co-development with Vegalab.