pubmed:abstractText |
Liposomal suspensions of dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) containing alpha-tocopherol (0.1 mol%, based on DLPC were oxidized at 37 degrees C. The oxidation was initiated by a lipid-soluble or water-soluble free radical initiator, or by the addition of CuSO4 and fructose. In all the oxidation systems, alpha-tocopherol suppressed the formation of DLPC hydroperoxides until all the alpha-tocopherol had been depleted. The oxidation products of alpha-tocopherol were 8a-alkyldioxy-alpha-tocopherones, 5,6-epoxy-alpha-tocopherylquinone, 2,3-epoxy-alpha-tocopherylquinone, and alpha-tocopherylquinone. The 8a-alkyldioxy-alpha-tocopherones were decomposed in the liposomes primarily by being hydrolyzed to produce alpha-tocopherylquinone. The results indicate that alpha-tocopherol can trap peroxyl radical to form 8a-alkyldioxy-alpha-tocopherones which are hydrolyzed to alpha-tocopherylquinone in phospholipid bilayers. In another oxidation pathway, alpha-tocopherol may be oxidized by peroxyl radicals to form isomeric epoxy-alpha-tocopherylquinones.
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