Diallyl Trisulfide Is a Fast H2S Donor, but Diallyl Disulfide Is a Slow One: The Reaction Pathways and Intermediates of Glutathione with Polysulfides

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) reacts rapidly with glutathione (GSH) to release H2S through thiol-disulfide exchange followed by allyl perthiol reduction by GSH. Yet diallyl disulfide (DADS) only releases a minute amount of H2S via a sluggish reaction with GSH through an α-carbon nucleophilic substitution pathway. The results clarify the misunderstanding of DADS as a rapid H2S donor, which is attributed to its DATS impurity.