Autooxidation of alkylhydrazones and mutagenicity of the resulting hydroperoxides.

Acetone alkylhydrazones were readily autooxidized to 2-alkylazo-2-propyl hydroperoxides, which were directly mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, TA100, TA102 and Escherichia coli WP2hcr-. The mechanism of this mutagenicity presumes that the hydroperoxides in aqueous solution decompose to alkyl diazonium ions which were observed in the alkylation of 4-(p-nitrobenzyl)pyridine, and also to hydroxyl radical which was detected by ESR.