Pseudo-catalytic degradation of hydrogen peroxide in the lactoperoxidase/H2O2/iodide system.

Non-stoichiometric (excessive) consumption of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which was observed in various lactoperoxidase-catalysed reactions, was tested in the lactoperoxidase/H2O2/iodide system. In preliminary experiments the suitability of the system was tested with special regard to the triiodide (I-3) absorption and the I2/I-3 equilibrium. Triiodide equilibrium concentrations evaluated theoretically and experimentally were compared after adding a known amount of iodine (I2) to solutions containing variable I- concentrations. A close fit of the two methods was only obtained if experiments were carried out in pure aqueous or 0.001 M H2SO4 medium. The presence of various anions, e.g. OH- and Cl-, led to a measurable decrease in I-3 and I2 equilibrium concentrations. These ions are able to displace competitively I- in forming association products with I+ and I2. When I+ and I2 were generated enzymatically by lactoperoxidase and hydrogen peroxide, additional interactions with H2O2 were observed. Depending on the enzyme and iodide concentrations, variable amounts of H2O2 disappeared nonproductively. Due to its ambivalent redox reactivity, part of the H2O2 is not reduced to H2O in the enzyme-catalysed generation of iodine, but undergoes oxidation to O2 by an oxidized iodine compound. This suggests a pseudo-catalytic side reaction which can competitively interfere with the I2/I-3 generation or (and) the iodination reaction.