End-product of lipid oxidation

The end-products of lipid oxidation are a chemically diverse set of small molecules formed during the oxidative degradation (peroxidation) of polyunsaturated fatty acids and other lipid classes. These products — including aldehydes like malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), and a wide array of related compounds — are highly reactive and capable of forming covalent adducts with DNA, proteins, and cellular membranes. The accumulation of these products mediates oxidative stress, cell damage, and inflammation, and is implicated in several pathologies, including atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, cancer, and other diseases linked to chronic inflammation and oxidative injury. Because this is a class of reactive molecules, not a discrete entity with a canonical structure, it is not considered a therapeutic target per se but rather a set of damaging metabolites whose formation is ideally prevented or measured as biomarkers of oxidative injury.

Other names

Lipid oxidation productslipid peroxidation productsLOPsadvanced lipoxidation end products (ALEs)secondary lipid peroxidation productsreactive lipid aldehydes (e.g., MDA, 4-HNE)