Polymerized Whey Protein Concentrate-Based Glutathione Delivery System: Physicochemical Characterization, Bioavailability and Sub-Chronic Toxicity Evaluation

Abstract

Glutathione (GSH) is a powerful antioxidant, but its application is limited due to poor storage stability and low bioavailability. A novel nutrient encapsulation and delivery system, consisting of polymerized whey protein concentrate and GSH, was prepared and in vivo bioavailability, antioxidant capacity and toxicity were evaluated. Polymerized whey protein concentrate encapsulated GSH (PWPC-GSH) showed a diameter of roughly 1115 ± 7.07 nm (D50) and zeta potential of 30.37 ± 0.75 mV. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed that GSH was successfully dispersed in PWPC particles. In vivo pharmacokinetics study suggested that PWPC-GSH displayed 2.5-times and 2.6-fold enhancement in maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) as compared to free GSH. Additionally, compared with plasma of mice gavage with free GSH, significantly increased antioxidant capacity of plasma in mice with PWPC-GSH was observed (p < 0.05). Sub-chronic toxicity evaluation indicated that no adverse toxicological reactions related to oral administration of PWPC-GSH were observed on male and female rats with a diet containing PWPC-GSH up to 4% (w/w). Data indicated that PWPC may be an effective carrier for GSH to improve bioavailability and antioxidant capacity.

Porous hydrogel composite with whey protein isolate and galactomannans of Leucaena leucocephala (subabul) seeds: Stability, rheological, thermal, and morphological characterization

“…The low peak temperature in the exothermic transitions of SGWP when compared to SG1 was due to the presence of 6.5% w/v of SG along with WPI. These observations indicated that an increase in the concentrations of SG and WPI in the hydrogel would enhance self‐association (aggregation) of thermally denatured whey protein (Zhang et al., 2021).…”

Bilayer dressing based on aerogel/electrospun mats with self-catalytic hydrogen sulfide generation and enhanced antioxidant ability

“…PU/GSH//GelMA/Ker dressing exhibited relatively weak antioxidant activity, which was attributed to the introduced GSH, gelatin, and keratin, all of which possessed reducibility. [57][58][59] As a predominant antioxidant, GSH maintains intracellular redox homeostasis by consuming oxidizing substances such as ROS. 60 When KTC was added in place of keratin, the antioxidant activity of the PU/GSH// GelMA/KTC dressing was greatly enhanced, which was attributed to the sustained release of H 2 S. All these results confirmed that PU/ GSH//GelMA/KTC dressing possessed the good anti-oxidant ability.…”

Preface to the Special Issue “Glutathione: Chemistry and Biochemistry”

“…The following four contributions [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ] present selected interventions which modulate the GSH/GSSG system. One of the contributions of this session [ 15 ] describes a new HPLC/DAD method to quantify the reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels in rat brain.…”