Effect of antioxidants on the photooxidation of fatty acids.

The effect of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) and tocopherol acetate on photooxidation of the fatty acids was studied. A marked increase in the photooxidation was observed in the presence of BHT, and this effect was further potentiated by hexabromobiphenyls. Conversely, BHA and tocopherol acetate as such did not show any significant effect, but greatly enhanced the photooxidation when hexabromobiphenyls were also present. Hexabromobiphenyls by themselves did not show any notable effect on the photooxidation.