Hydroperoxidase activity of lipoxygenase: a potential pathway for xenobiotic metabolism in the presence of linoleic acid.

The ability of hydroperoxidase activity of soybean lipoxygenase to co-oxidize xenobiotics was examined in the presence of linoleic acid. The guaiacol oxidation rate was proportional to the linoleic acid dioxygenation rate of the enzyme preparation. The tetraguaiacol formation was dependent upon the concentration of guaiacol, linoleic acid and the amount of enzyme. Boiled enzyme was devoid of activity suggesting enzymatic nature of the co-oxidation reaction. Besides guaiacol, benzidine, tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, dimethoxybenzidine, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), p-phenylenediamine and tetramethylbenzidine were oxidized suggesting that the hydroperoxidase activity of lipoxygenase may be a potential pathway of xenobiotic oxidation.