Lipid Oxidation Products

This book describes the photooxidation and autoxidation of the lipid components of phototrophic organisms. These two processes, which act intensively during the senescence of phototrophs, have been relatively neglected in the relevant literature. The text details the mechanisms involved in type-II photosensitized oxidation and free radical oxidation (autoxidation) of the main unsaturated lipids, with a close focus on the specificity of the oxidation products formed and their potential to serve as tracers of these processes. It then discusses the effects of temperature and solar irradiance on the efficiency of type-II photooxidation processes, and looks at the possibility of photooxidative damage transferring into non-phototrophic material. The book ends with a detailed description of potential interactions between biotic and abiotic degradation processes, which, although very complex, must absolutely be factored in when studying the fate of organic matter in the environment.