[Biological potentiality of melatonin].

The pineal gland is an epithalamic structure whose mission is to integrate incoming environmental information with other types of information deriving from the inner milieu itself of the organism, releasing melatonin, a substance able to elicit responses in the central nervous and endocrine systems. Secreted rhythmically during the scotophase, melatonin is involved in reproductive mechanisms, in cyclically developing nosological. Processes, and in the genesis or maintenance of cerebral biorhythms. Owing to its ability to uptake free radicals produced by cell metabolism, it is a potent antioxidant agent that is able to delay cellular ageing and inhibit cellular proliferation in both experimental and spontaneous tumours.