Chemical structure of the adducts formed by the oxidation of benzidine in the presence of phenols

Bioactivation of carcinogens by peroxidases has received increasing attention since the discovery of the oxidation of carcinogens by prostaglandin hydroperoxidase. Benzidine and 3,5,3',5'-tetramethylbenzidine are oxidized by horseradish peroxidase and prostaglandin synthase to two-electron oxidation products (di-imines). Di-imines readily react with the phenolic anti-oxidant butylated hydroxyanisole to form adducts. In this paper, we have studied the oxidation of benzidine by horseradish peroxidase in the presence of phenolic compounds and characterized the resultant benzidine/phenol adducts. A benzidine/2,6-dimethylphenol adduct was isolated and characterized by mass spectrometry and high field n.m.r. The reaction of [14C]benzidine in the presence of horseradish peroxidase and phenol yielded only the benzidine/phenol adduct. Our results indicate that the benzidine/phenol adducts are analogous to the indoaniline dyes, differing only in substitution of a biphenyl group for a benzene ring. The reaction of benzidine di-imine with endogenous phenols may represent a new pathway for detoxication, removing potentially harmful metabolites of benzidine