Mechanism of oxygenation of naphthoquinone derivative

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(98)00714-X

Vitamin K in its hydroquinone form, vitamin KH₂, is transformed to vitamin K oxide concurrent with the abstraction of the γ-hydrogen of Glu leading to Gla. The nonenzymatic model supports that oxygenation of the monoanion of vitamin KH₂ can produce the peroxy anion at the 4-position yielding vitamin K oxide.