Thiol and disulfide determination by free zone capillary electrophoresis.

A rapid, sensitive and simple method for the determination of reduced and oxidized glutathione, cysteine, cystine, cysteamine, cystamine and their respective mixed disulfides is described. The compounds were separated and identified in a single step by capillary zone electrophoresis. The method was used to follow the thiol-disulfide interconversion and to measure glutathione levels in lens extracts.