Interaction between Glutathione and Resveratrol in the Presence of Hydrogen Peroxide: A Kinetic Model¹

Abstract—The kinetics of interaction between glutathione (GSH) and unsaturated phenol resveratrol (RVT) in deionized water in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is studied. At a physiological concentration (0.1–10 mM), GSH containing two carboxyl groups forms acidic solutions (pH of 3–4); the GSH molecules are associated into dimers. Under these conditions, GSH is quite slowly oxidized by atmospheric oxygen, and the reaction between GSH and H₂O₂ is accompanied by the formation of radicals. The thiyl radical initiation rate (W_i) is a few fractions of a percent of the GSH consumption rate; however, it is sufficient to initiate a thiol–ene chain reaction between GSH and RVT. Using the experimental data on the kinetics and the product composition and the published data on reactions of GSH with H₂O₂ and thiyl radicals, a kinetic model of the complex interaction between GSH and RVT in the presence of H₂O₂ in an aqueous medium at 37°C is proposed. The model includes 19 quasi-elementary reactions with respective rate constants, in particular, the formation of intermediate GSH–H₂O₂ and GSH–GSH complexes, the formation of radicals, and their subsequent transformations into final products in reactions with RVT and GSH. A computer simulation based on the developed model adequately describes the features of the process kinetics in a wide reactant concentration range.