Antioxidants play a crucial role in mitigating lipid peroxidation by neutralizing free radicals, thereby halting radical chain reactions. Key antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E. Additionally, enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase contribute to the oxidation response by reducing the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which is a prevalent precursor of the hydroxyl radical ().
As an example, vitamin E can donate a hydrogen atom to the lipid hydroperoxyl radical () to form a vitamin E radical, which further reacts with another lipid hydroperoxyl radical () forming non-radical products.