Tier 3 — preclinical

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of oral acetylcysteine in healthy volunteers

L De Caro, A Ghizzi, R Costa, A Longo, G P Ventresca, E Lodola
Arzneimittelforschung 1989 39(3):382-386

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 2757663
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignHuman pharmacokinetic study
ModelHuman
Sample12 healthy adults
InterventionOral acetylcysteine, including a 600 mg single dose and repeated 200 mg dosing
DurationSingle-dose and repeated-dose pharmacokinetic sampling
EndpointsPlasma acetylcysteine; Bioavailability; Pharmacokinetic parameters

What the study showed, in plain terms

A foundational human study characterizing oral acetylcysteine exposure and bioavailability in healthy volunteers.

Key findings

Oral NAC undergoes substantial first-pass metabolism and produces relatively low systemic parent-drug exposure, an important context for interpreting oral supplement dosing.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small healthy-volunteer pharmacokinetic study; biochemical exposure does not establish efficacy for a clinical or performance outcome.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology