## 3 Results and Discussion
### Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Markers and Antioxidant Content in Melatonin-Treated Dried Apricots
Our results not only confirm these high sorbitol levels but also suggest that melatonin treatment may help preserve this characteristic during the drying process. Our investigation into the effects of melatonin (MT) treatment on dried apricots revealed intricate patterns in antioxidant properties and phenolic content distribution. The total phenolic content (TPC) analysis demonstrated remarkable consistency between the control (243.68 \(\pm\) 14.02 mg GAE/100 g) and 10 uM-MT treatments (243.52 \(\pm\) 5.68 mg GAE/100 g), while higher concentration treatments showed significantly reduced values (\(p<\) 0.05). This pattern suggests a potential threshold effect in melatonin's interaction with phenolic compounds during the drying process. The elevated TPC levels observed in the control group can be attributed to the formation of melanin compounds during drying, a phenomenon well-documented in the recent literature [43; 44]. In our results, the antioxidant capacity measurements revealed significant variations across different analytical methods, providing crucial insights into the complex nature of antioxidant mechanisms in dried fruits. The DPPH radical scavenging activity exhibited peak values in the 10 uM-MT treatment (111.30 \(\pm\) 11.13 mg TE/100 g), with notably lower activity in the 100 uM-MT treatment (86.48 mg TE/100 g). This finding aligns with previous research by [PERSON] et al. [45], who reported similar patterns in sun-dried apricots, attributing these variations to the formation of Maillard reaction products with enhanced antioxidant capacity. The CUPRAC analysis consistently demonstrated higher values compared to DPPH results across all treatments, with the control group showing exceptional activity (634.72 \(\pm\) 26.98 mg TE/100 g). This methodological divergence can be primarily attributed to CUPRAC's enhanced sensitivity to flavonoid compounds, particularly quercetin and kaempfer, as elucidated by [PERSON] et al. [46]. The effectiveness of melatonin treatment can be fundamentally attributed to its unique molecular architecture, specifically its indole ring structure, which facilitates efficient reactions with free radicals [47]. This structural characteristic explains its robust antioxidant activity across varying concentrations. The relatively lower TPC values observed in higher melatonin concentrations may be explained by [PERSON]'s [48] groundbreaking observation regarding the chemical modification of radical scavenging molecules during radical capture. This transformation process creates significant challenges in evaluating melatonin's effectiveness using conventional UV-based color measurement methods, as various metabolites may form during the process. Our findings strongly support melatonin's potential as a safe and non-toxic post-harvest treatment option, as corroborated by [PERSON] et al. [49]. The complex relationship between treatment concentration and antioxidant parameters reveals a nuanced pattern: while 100 uM-MT appears optimal for sugar preservation, lower concentrations (10 uM \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c} \hline \hline
**Treatments** & **Glucose (g/100 g)** & **Fructose (g/100 g)** & **Sucrose (g/100 g)** & **Sorbitol** (g/100 g)** \\ \hline Control & 16.97 \(\pm\) 0.12 b & 12.01 \(\pm\) 0.46 b & 12.12 \(\pm\) 0.26 c & 23.46 \(\pm\) 0.56 ab \\
10 uM-MT & 17.16 \(\pm\) 0.19 b & 12.11 \(\pm\) 0.70 ab & 13.98 \(\pm\) 1.31 b & 23.54 \(\pm\) 0.21 ab \\
100 uM-MT & 18.99 \(\pm\) 0.01 a & 12.58 \(\pm\) 0.03 ab & 15.52 \(\pm\) 0.11 a & 23.94 \(\pm\) 0.24 a \\
1000 uM-MT & 18.84 \(\pm\) 0.30 a & 12.86 \(\pm\) 0.29 a & 14.82 \(\pm\) 0.10 ab & 22.99 \(\pm\) 0.37 b \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}  
* MT: Melatonin. Each value represents the mean of three replicates (mean \(\pm\) standard error). Letters in the same column indicate significant differences at \(p<\) 0.05.  
\end{table} 
Table 3: Sugar content of dried apricots after exogenous melatonin application. MT) demonstrate superior efficacy in maintaining antioxidant properties.