Initiation of lipid peroxidation in biological systems

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Abstract
In recent years, the role of lipids in health and disease has received increasing attention. A number of pathological conditions caused by exposure to xenobiotics or toxic chemicals are believed to be manifested through mechanisms involving lipid peroxidation. In addition to the potential implication of lipid peroxidation to a pathophysiological condition in vivo, the autoxidation of unsaturated lipids in food items results in significant deterioration in quality. Lipid oxidation is in most instances a free radical chain reaction that can be described in terms of initiation, propagation, branching, and termination processes. However, one of the most important questions concerns the source of the primary catalysts that initiate peroxidation in vivo and autoxidation in vitro. In this review, the various mechanisms by which the first catalysts are formed to initiate the first lipid‐free radical in biological tissues are described. The review sections cover the chemistry of oxygen and active oxygen species, the role of transition metals and enzymes as initiating agents, and the prevention and control of lipid peroxidation.

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