ABSTRACT
158High-molar-mass hyaluronan was exposed to oxidative degradation induced by Cu(II) ions and ascorbate (the Weissberger biogenic oxidative system; WBOS), which resulted in generation of hydrogen peroxide, followed by production of hydroxyl radicals. Catalase was examined to prove the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in the hyaluronan and WBOS reaction mixture. Complementary methods, such as size-exclusion chromatographymultiangle light scattering (SEC-MALS) and nonisothermal chemiluminometry, were used to analyze the recovered hyaluronan samples. Catalase was effective in preventing hyaluronan degradation induced by both hydroxyl and peroxy-type hyaluronan macroradicals as showed by the results of rotational viscometry. Results of SEC-MALS showed that catalase was protective against hyaluronan degradation by WBOS. Results of nonisothermal chemiluminometry showed several populations of hydroperoxides in both native and recovered hyaluronan samples.
