Lipid peroxidation

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Lipid peroxidation is the oxidative degradation of lipids, endogenously, or in cooking.

Susceptibility to oxidation

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are more susceptible to lipoxidation than other fatty acids because they contain multiple carbon units with double bonds. The carbon unit in between two double-bonded carbon units is called a methylene bridge. This carbon unit has less energy invested in its bonds with the two hydrogen atoms, which makes these hydrogens more reactive.