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NASThe compound is a precursor to melatonin, which may very well explain much of the results. However, in the same study, the antioxidant capabilities of the compound were studied with different type of mice (C57B1/6J) that had very limited (if any) capacity to convert pineal NAS into melatonin. With these mice, the researchers found the antioxidant profile and subsequent health effects on the NAS group to be different to melatonin group of mice. In the study, NAS increased the antioxidant capacity of kidney and the antioxidant capacity of brain. What is also interesting is that NAS-treated C57B1/6J mice experienced a weight loss of 9%, in comparison to the saline and melatonin control groups with only 3% weight loss. Furthermore, the researchers reported that the NAS- and melatonin-treated animals had healthy and luxuriant fur coats with some gray fur in the melatonin group, whereas animals in the saline group had large areas of baldness. In a subsequent study with the compound, the researchers confirmed that the protective effects of NAS against oxidative damage are independent from the effect of melatonin. In fact, depending on the model, the antioxidant effects were reported by the research team to be 5 to 20 times stronger than that of melatonin. In conclusion to their study, the team pointed out that antioxidant effect of NAS might underpin its cognition-enhancing, antiaging, antidepressant, antihypertensive, and antitumor effects. NAS - StudiesOxenkrug G, Requintina P, Bachurin S. Antioxidant and antiaging activity of N-acetylserotonin and melatonin in the in vivo models. Neuroprotective Agents. Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences 2001, 939: 190-199. G Oxenkrug. (2005) Antioxidant Effects of N-Acetylserotonin. Possible Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1053:1, 334–347.
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