Autooxidation of alkylhydrazones and mutagenicity of the resulting hydroperoxides.

Acetone alkylhydrazones were readily autooxidized to 2-alkylazo-2-propyl hydroperoxides, which were directly mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, TA100, TA102 and Escherichia coli WP2hcr. The mechanism of this mutagenicity presumes that the hydroperoxides in aqueous solution decompose to alkyl diazonium ions which were observed in the alkylation of 4-(p-nitrobenzyl)pyridine, and also to hydroxyl radical which was detected by ESR.