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Reactions of singlet oxygen with pine pollen
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 17, 1973
Summary
Exposure to single oxygen reduced unsaturated fatty acids in pine pollen lipids. Deuterium oxide experiments confirmed excited oxygen
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Photochemistry
Background:
- Pine pollen contains unsaturated fatty acids susceptible to oxidation.
- Single oxygen is a reactive oxygen species with potential environmental impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of single oxygen on pine pollen lipids.
- To confirm the role of excited oxygen in this process.
Main Methods:
- Pine pollen was exposed to single oxygen generated in an aqueous environment.
- Solvent extraction was used to recover surface and near-surface pollen lipids.
- Deuterium oxide was substituted for water to probe the mechanism.
Main Results:
- Exposure to single oxygen decreased the relative quantities of recoverable unsaturated fatty acids.
- Using deuterium oxide resulted in a twofold greater decrease in unsaturated fatty acids, confirming excited oxygen involvement.
Conclusions:
- Single oxygen can degrade unsaturated fatty acids in pine pollen lipids.
- These findings suggest potential environmental and biomedical implications of excited oxygen reactions with biological materials.