Figure 7.

Mechanisms showing how cumene hydroperoxide produces lipophilic cumoxyl and cumoperoxyl radicals. Cumene hydroperoxide in presence of transition metal ions produces cumoxyl radical (step 1), which abstracts a hydrogen (H) from a lipid (PUFA) molecule (LH) generating cumyl alcohol and lipid radical (L^•) that reacts readily with oxygen promoting the initiation or propagation of lipid peroxidation. (Step 2). Cumoxyl radical can also react with other cumene hydroperoxide molecules to yield cumyl alcohol and cumoperoxyl radical (step 3). Finally, cumoperoxil radical may abstract hydrogen (H) from the closest available lipid to produce a new cumene hydroperoxide and lipid radical (L^•) which then again affects lipid peroxidation cycling (step 4). Cumoperoxyl radical may also react with oxygen to yield a new cumoxyl radical thus initiating a chain reaction (step 5).