Stabilized activated oxygen and pharmaceutical compositions containing said stabilized activated oxygen

Stabilized activated oxygen which is enclosed in a matrix consisting of chlorite ions as represented by the general formula

• ClO.sub.2.sup.- .times.nO.sub.2 (activated)
• wherein n has the value 0.1-0.25, having an O.sub.2 band at 1562 cm.sup.-1 in the Raman spectrum and an O-O interval of 123 pm, obtained by reacting a chlorite in an aqueous solution with a hypochlorite in a molar ratio between chlorite and hypochlorite of 1:0.2 to 1:0.3, titrating the obtained alkaline solution with chloryl sulfuric acid to a pH value of 6.4-6.8 to form chlorine dioxide and a charge-transfer-complex (Cl.sub.2 O.sub.4).sup.-, expelling chlorine dioxide from this complex by addition of a peroxide selected from the group consisting of peroxide carbonates and peroxide borates, adding sodium peroxide, permitting the reaction mixture to stand for at least 4 weeks, and separating the resultant aqueous solution containing the complex of activated oxygen and chlorite ions from the carbonate or borate which precipitates from the reaction mixture.