Free-radical damage to lipids, amino acids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids determined by thiobarbituric acid reactivity.

J M Gutteridge

Index: Int. J. Biochem. 14(7) , 649-53, (1982)

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Abstract

1. The thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction, widely applied to the detection of autoxidation in polyunsaturated fatty acids, can be used to measure free-radical damage to amino acids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. 2. In all of these systems malondialdehyde (MDA) is predominately formed from intermediate precursor molecules which break down during the acid-heating stage of the TBA test. 3. The acid reagent used to bring about these decompositions appears to be critical.