A Kinetic Study of the Reaction Between Glutathione and Iron(III) in the pH Range from 1 to 3

Anaerobic reactions of iron(III) with glutathione (GSH) have been studied kinetically using stopped-flow spectrophotometry. One mixing reduced GSH with iron(III) a very rapid increase in absorbance with a broad peak centred at 620 nm was recorded. The rapid formation of the blue complex was followed by a decomposition step at a slower rate, yielding a colourless product. GSH reduces iron(III) readily in aqueous solution to yield the iron(II) GSH complex.