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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d3835187e70">Oxidative stress (OS) represents a threat to the
chemical integrity of biomolecules
including lipids, proteins, and DNA. The associated molecular damage frequently results
in serious health issues, which justifies our concern about this phenomenon. In addition
to enzymatic defense mechanisms, there are compounds (usually referred to as antioxidants)
that offer chemical protection against oxidative events. Among them, melatonin and
its metabolites constitute a particularly efficient chemical family. They offer protection
against OS as individual chemical entities through a wide variety of mechanisms including
electron transfer, hydrogen transfer, radical adduct formation, and metal chelation,
and by repairing biological targets. In fact, many of them including melatonin can
be classified as multipurpose antioxidants. However, what seems to be unique to the
melatonin's family is their collective effects. Because the members of this family
are metabolically related, most of them are expected to be present in living organisms
wherever melatonin is produced. Therefore, the protection exerted by melatonin against
OS may be viewed as a result of the combined antioxidant effects of the parent molecule
and its metabolites. Melatonin's family is rather exceptional in this regard, offering
versatile and collective antioxidant protection against OS. It certainly seems that
melatonin is one of the best nature's defenses against oxidative damage.
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