The production of free radicals during the autoxidation of monosaccharides by buffer ions.

The production of free radicals during the autoxidation of simple monosaccharides at 37 degrees has been studied by the electron spin resonance (e.s.r.) technique of spin trapping. In the presence of the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO), monosaccharides undergoing autoxidation produced hydroxyl and 1-hydroxyalkyl radical-derived spin adducts, indicating that hydroxyl and hydroxyalkyl free-radicals are involved in the autoxidation of monosaccharides. The pH profile for the production of free radicals from monosaccharides undergoing autoxidation revealed the formation of both hydroxyl and hydroxyalkyl radicals at relatively high pH, whereas at low pH, only the formation of hydroxyalkyl radicals was observed; the transition between these routes for the production of free radicals occurred at pH 8.0-8.5. Glycolaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, dihydroxyacetone, and erythrose are relatively rapidly enolised (to an ene-diol) and autoxidised with the concomitant production of free radicals. Ribose and glucose enolise and autoxidise very slowly without detectable production of free radicals. A comparison of the pH profiles of the rates of enolisation and the pH dependence of the production of free radicals from glyceraldehyde during autoxidation suggests that a change in reaction mechanism occurs at pH 8.2. Below pH 8.2, the rates of enolisation and autoxidation increase with increasing pH, with a concomitant increase in the formation of hydroxyalkyl spin-adducts. Above pH 8.2, glyceraldehyde undergoing autoxidation shows a much higher rate of enolisation than of autoxidation and, although the formation of hydroxyalkyl radicals is decreased, the production of hydroxyl radicals is also observed. A free-radical mechanism for the autoxidation of monosaccharides is proposed, to account for the pH-dependent characteristics of the production of free radicals and the relationships between the production of free radicals, autoxidation, and enolisation of the monosaccharides.