Abstract

Melatonin is known for its radical scavenger activity, which is related to its ability to protect cells from different kinds of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson, Alzheimers disease, Huntingtons disease, epileptic seizures, stroke, and as a contributor to aging and some cancer types. The antioxidant properties of melatonin include scavenging free radicals and the regulation of the activity and expression of antioxidant and pro-oxidant enzymes. Due to its free radical scavenger and antioxidant properties, multiple melatonin-related compounds such as melatonin metabolites and synthetic analogues are under investigation to determine which exhibit the highest activity with the lowest side effects. This review addresses recent studies with melatonin and related compounds.

Keywords: Reactive oxygen species (ROS), Oxidative damage, Indole-3-propionamide derivatives, Lipid peroxidation, Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)