Epoxides are a class of chemical compounds with a distinctive strained ring structure, making them highly reactive. They can be formed through several processes, such as the epoxidation of alkenes, where an alkene reacts with a peracid. Naturally, epoxides can also be generated in biological systems through the metabolism of certain compounds by cytochrome P450 enzymes. This enzymatic process often converts stable compounds into more reactive species, which can interact with biological macromolecules like DNA and proteins.
