Electrochemical study of oxygen interaction with lapachol and its radical anions

Cyclovoltammetric studies were performed with lapachol [2-hydroxy-3-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-1,4-naphthoquinone], in the absence and presence of oxygen, which aimed to investigate possible oxygen interaction with lapachol and its radical anion. The obtained results clearly indicate the consumption of the semiquinone anion-radicals by oxygen in an EC type reaction, generating the deprotonated form of lapachol and HOO·. The observed generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after electron transfer can be related to the mechanism of biological action of lapachol.