Instability of malondialdehyde in the presence of H2O2: Implications for the thiobarbituric acid test

Abstract The content of thiobarbituric acid‐reactive material (primarily malondialdehyde) is frequently used to estimate the extent of lipid peroxide formation. How‐ever, malondialdehyde is unstable in the presence of millimolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. This observation considerably limits the applicability of the thiobarbituric acid test, as hydrogen peroxide is known to be formed in a number of lipid peroxidation‐promoting systems. The instability of malondialdehyde in the presence of hydrogen peroxide seems to account for the inconsistent outcomes in studies relating the manipulations of intermediate H2O2 levels to the initiation of lipid peroxidation.