ABSTRACT
Probucol, 4,4'-(isopropylidenedithio)bis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol), is a drug widely used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Probucol has a structure similar to butylated hydroxytoluene, a well-known synthetic antioxidant for foods and plastics. This chapter reviews the action and role of probucol as an antioxidant. Probucol is a lipophilic phenolic compound, and it is assumed that it is located in the lipophilic compartment of membranes and lipoproteins. The rate of interaction between probucol and galvinoxyl can be followed with a stopped-flow spectrophotometer. The activity of probucol as an antioxidant against lipid peroxidation has been measured in several systems. The kinetic study on the inhibition of oxidation of methyl linoleate induced by free radicals in homogeneous solution serves as a research tool to quantitatively evaluate the chemical activity of antioxidant of biological interest. The oxidation of low-density lipoprotein and its inhibition by antioxidants, have been studied extensively, and the action of probucol as an antioxidant has been the subject of numerous investigations.
