These and other considerations from the extensive literature on MDA, TBA reactivity, and oxidative lipid degradation support the conclusion that MDA determination and the TBA test can offer, at best, a narrow and somewhat empirical window on the complex process of lipid peroxidation. Use of MDA analysis and/or the TBA test and interpretation of sample MDA content and TBA test response in studies of lipid peroxidation require caution, discretion, and (especially in biological systems) correlative data from other indices of fatty peroxide formation and decomposition.
The findings from a comprehensive examination of the literature on MDA, TBA reactivity, and oxidative lipid degradation support the conclusion that MDA measurement and the TBA test offer a limited and somewhat speculative understanding of lipid peroxidation. The use of these methods in research requires careful consideration, prudence, and (particularly in biological contexts) complementary data from other indicators of fatty peroxide formation and decomposition.