AbstractAt pH 7.8 the dithranol anion1ais oxidized in the dark to yield the bianthrone3besides dithranol brown, whilst O2is reduced to O2·−and H2O2. O2·−was detected by the reduction of nitroblue‐tetrazolium (NBT,4). The formation of the formazan5was inhibited by superoxide dismutase (SOD). Exclusion of O2and addition of SOD reveal a direct electron transfer from1ato4and to cytochrome c which was not affected in the presence of SOD. —In vivoexperiments indicate a low rate of lipid peroxidation which was determined on the basis of ethane e