Potential role of melatonin in prevention and treatment of oral carcinoma

Melatonin, a hormone secreted mainly by pineal gland has been found to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the oral cavity where it reaches through saliva. These properties have been found to be beneficial in certain oral pathologies including periodontal diseases, herpes viral infections and Candida, local inflammatory processes, xerostomia, oral ulcers and oral cancer. The objective of this review is to discuss the mechanism of action and potential role of melatonin as a preventive and curative agent for oral cancer. an extensive review of databases like pubmed, medline, science direct and Cochrane reviews was conducted to find articles related to beneficial actions of melatonin in human body with focus on cancers. Numerous studies both in-vitro and in-vivo had shown promising results regarding role of melatonin as anti-carcinogenic agent. Melatonin may play a role in protecting the oral cavity from tissue damage caused by oxidative stress. The experimental evidence suggests that melatonin may have utility in the treatment of several common cancers of the body. However, more specific studies are necessary to extend the therapeutic possibilities to oral carcinoma.