Free-radical reactions of glycerolipids and sphingolipids

Abstract

Free-radical reactions of glycero- and sphingolipids occurring in their polar moiety (fragmentation) and in their hydrophobic residue (peroxidation) under the action of reactive oxygen species are considered. The main attention is focused on free-radical fragmentation; its mechanism and regularities are discussed. Lipid peroxidation has been shown to modify the residues of polyunsaturated fatty acids, while the free-radical fragmentation results in the cleavage of ester, O-glycosidic and amide bonds in lipid molecules to give glycerophosphatides, ceramides and fatty acid amides functioning as secondary messengers in bio-systems. The bibliography includes 132 references. © 2012 Russian Academy of Sciences and Turpion Ltd.