Epitalon is considered a strong antioxidant that could potentially be beneficial for longevity purposes. Researchers Yue et. Al examined what kind of protective effects that epitalon has on age-damaged post-ovulatory oocytes in vitro in female mice. Following oocyte collection, 0.1 mM of epitalon was added into the oocyte sample. From there, oocyte quality was evaluated at 6, 12, and 24 hours following the sample collection.
First, the results of the study showed that epitalon reduced the number of reactive oxygen series present, indicating that epitalon works as an antioxidant. Additionally the study found that during the process of cell division there were fewer spindle defects and decreased abnormalities of the cortical granules when evaluated at 12 and 24 hours. There was increased membrane potential found in the mitochondria as well as an increase in the copy number of DNA, in turn apoptosis of oocytes was decreased by hour 24 after the sample collection. Overall the study found that epitalon can delay age-related damage through regulation of mitochondrial activity as well as reactive oxygen species (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35413689/).