Doxorubicin degradation: changes in activity compared by bacterial growth inhibition and free radical-dependent damage to deoxyribose.

Doxorubicin (DX) under partially anaerobic conditions can degrade deoxyribose with the release of thiobarbituric acid-reactive products. This activity is lost, together with the ability to inhibit bacterial growth, when DX is damaged by exposure to intense white light. Deoxyribose degradation may provide useful information about the anticancer properties of the drug.