N-Acetyl Cysteine Functions as a Fast-Acting Antioxidant by Triggering Intracellular H2S and Sulfane Sulfur Production (Cell Chemical Biology)

N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC), by itself a poor scavenger of oxidants, is converted inside cells to yield sulfane sulfur species, which are very potent scavengers of oxidants. This conversion may account for many of the antioxidative effects provided by NAC which have hitherto remained unexplained.