Study of radical processes in amino acids and peptides containing thioether group induced by hydroxyl radicals

Results of investigations of the OH-induced oxidation of amino acids and peptides containing thioether group are presented. Experiments have been carried out over pH range (0-10.5), employing pulse radiolysis and steady-state γ-radiolysis together with a gas-chromatography (GC), a high-performance ionic chromatography (HPICE), and electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques. A general OH-induced oxidation mechanism of these compounds has been proposed, with a hydroxysulfuranyl radical as a primary product formed by an addition of a hydroxyl radical to the thioether group. Secondary reactions of hydroxysulfuranyl radical are dependent on the geometry of the amino acid/peptide molecule, the number of functionalities and on the concentration of the amino acid/peptide and protons in the solutions. Transient products have been identified spectroscopically together with kinetic parameters of some radical reactions. Carbon dioxide acetaldehyde have been also identified as a final products. (author)