A new potent inhibitor of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase: p-methylbenzyl hydroperoxide.

A product of p-xylene auto-oxidation, p-methylbenzyl hydroperoxide, acts as a very strong reversible inhibitor of the ethanol dehydrogenating activity of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase. Concentrations of hydroperoxide as low as that of the enzyme active site (about 10(-8) mol.dm-3) in the assay depresses the activity by 50%. Somewhat less potent is benzyl hydroperoxide (derived from toluene) while the (secondary) hydroperoxide derived from ethylbenzene and tert.butyl hydroperoxide and cumyl hydroperoxide do not inhibit HLAD appreciably.