Inhibition of plasma lipid peroxidation by anti-atherogenic antioxidant BO-653, 2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxy-4,6-di-tert-butyl-2,2-dipentylbenzofuran

BO-653, 2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxy-4,6-di-tert-butyl-2,2-dipentylbenzofuran, is a synthetic antioxidant which is now being developed as an anti-atherogenic drug. The antioxidant action of BO-653 against lipid peroxidation in rat plasma was studied and compared with its analogue BO-653M, 2,3-dihydro-5-hydroxy-4,6-di-methyl-2,2-dipentylbenzofuran, and vitamin E. BO-653 was readily incorporated into plasma by oral administration and it inhibited plasma lipid peroxidation more efficiently than vitamin E independent of the presence or absence of vitamin C. On the other hand, its analogue BO-653M having two methyl substituents in place of tert-butyl groups of BO-653 did not inhibit the lipid peroxidation in plasma as efficiently as BO-653, demonstrating clearly that the tert-butyl groups at the ortho-position play a key role in determining the antioxidant efficacy.