Effects of N-acetylcysteine, oral glutathione (GSH) and a novel sublingual form of {GSH} on oxidative stress markers: A comparative crossover study.

摘要

Glutathione (GSH) is critical to fight against oxidative stress. Its very low bioavailability limits the interest of a supplementation. The purpose of this study was to compare the bioavailability, the effect on oxidative stress markers and the safety of a new sublingual form of {GSH} with two commonly used dietary supplements, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and oral GSH. The study was a three-week randomized crossover trial. 20 Volunteers with metabolic syndrome were enrolled. {GSH} levels and several oxidative stress markers were determined at different times during each 21-days period. Compared to oral {GSH} group, an increase of total and reduced {GSH} levels in plasma and a higher GSH/GSSG ratio (p=0.003) was observed in sublingual {GSH} group. After 3 weeks of administration, there was a significant increase of vitamin E level in plasma only in sublingual {GSH} group (0.83 μmol/g; p=0.04). Our results demonstrate the superiority of a new sublingual form of {GSH} over the oral {GSH} form and {NAC} in terms of {GSH} supplementation.