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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Free Radicals in Chemical Biology: from Chemical Behavior to Biomarker Development
Published on: April 15, 2013
Alpha-tocopherol amplifies benzoyl peroxide free radical decomposition in a chemical system
Cristina Rota1, Aldo Tomasi, Anna Iannone
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Abstract:
Benzoyl peroxide is commonly used in the treatment of acne, even though some adverse effects have been reported, probably mediated by the formation of peroxide-derived free radicals and the depletion of antioxidants. In the present work we have studied, in a chemical system, the effect of alpha-tocopherol on benzoyl peroxide radical decomposition to analyse the presence of an interaction between these two compounds, leading to an enhanced peroxide-cytotoxicity, as we have previously reported. Under our experimental conditions alpha-tocopherol strongly amplified the peroxide free radical decomposition occurring either in the presence or in the absence of UV irradiation, and lead to the formation of an unknown radical species in addition to benzoyloxy, phenyl and tocopheroxyl free radicals. The results of this study show that the enhancement of benzoyl peroxide toxicity in cells exposed simultaneously to this peroxide and alpha-tocopherol, is likely due to the generation of the detected radical species.
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