A peroxidation mixture containing methyl 9- and 10-hydroperoxy-trans-octadecenoates (MOHP) was obtained by singlet oxygen oxidation of methyl oleate. The two hydroperoxides were collected by solid phase extraction and purified separately by high-performance liquid chromatography. Identification and single-isomer purity evaluations were carried out by comparing the chromatographic and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry parameters of the corresponding reduced hydroxy derivatives. Each purified MOHP was thermally degraded and new reaction mechanisms were proposed from the identification of the degradation products. Thermal rearrangement of each hydroperoxide isomer involved an allylic 3-carbon intermediate before further degradation steps. The two MOHP isomers obtained from singlet oxygen oxidation produced all eight hydroperoxide isomers by thermal degradation in the condensed phase at high temperature (200 degrees C). This result supports the assumption of singlet oxygen as a promoter of the fi rst steps of oxidation of food lipids and also reconsiders the Khan mechanism.
