The Determination of TBA-Reactive Substances and Alkenals in the Presence of Antioxidants

This study investigated the inhibitory efficiency of all-rac-α-tocopherol, 2,6- ditert-butyl-p-cresole (BHT), and 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-chroman-2-carbonic acid (Trolox®) on determination of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and short-chain alkenals in rat liver homogenates. The concentration of TBARS was measured fluorophotometrically. Aldehydes were determined after derivatization with methylhydrazine by gas chromatography (GLC). The concentrations of alkenals and TBARS in liver homogenates were diminished when antioxidants were present dur- ing the sample preparation. It is suggested that in the absence of antioxidants the samples are autoxidized further during the preparative procedures. For the aldehyde determination all-rac-α-tocopherol was the most effective antioxidant to reduce the bias due to autoxidation, whereas for TBARS it was Trolox.