Iodometric determination of hydroperoxides in lipids and proteins

This chapter discusses the iodometric determination of hydroperoxides in lipids and proteins. During the autoxidation of lipids, hydroperoxides are formed as major early reaction products. Proteins and amino acids are also sites of hydroperoxide formation during oxidation. Interest in the formation, properties, and metabolism of hydroperoxides in biological systems has led to the development of a number of methods for their determination. In appropriate circumstances—that is, where the decay of hydroperoxides is not significant—their measurement can also be a useful index of early oxidative damage. The outstanding advantage of the iodometric hydroperoxide assay over all other methods is the ability of hydroperoxides in a wide range of molecules to react with iodide quantitatively and with stoichiometry. Other assays may react quantitatively only with specific classes of hydroperoxides, and/or the stoichiometry of the reactions is variable or unknown. The iodometric assay is particularly useful in complex biological systems where hydroperoxides may be generated on a diverse array of molecules.