Glutathione-generating cysteine and its antioxidant effect in patients on parenteral nutrition

Abstract

Cysteine ??is a sulfur amino acid, its disulfide bridge is essential for oxidation in dietary habits and the intake of amino acids must be present to maintain a balanced antioxidant system. Cysteine ??is the precursor of glutathione considered a defense compound in conditions of oxidative stress, where the patient undergoes an alteration of his body derived from diseases or accidents, with an increase in oxygen free radicals, which depending on the circumstances it can exceed the number of antioxidants present in the body, thus causing oxidative stress. GSH (glutathione) acts as an antioxidant, maintaining the cellular redox balance and protecting the body from possible adverse effects derived from oxidative stress. When a patient goes through a disease situation and requires parenteral nutrition to supplement their nutritional needs, a low glutathione concentration is generally recorded, which is indicative of a pathology, due to the disease itself and not due to a direct relationship with intravenous nutrition, which is in fact prescribed to correct these low levels of antioxidants resulting from poor nutrition