Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-6bf8c574d5-xtvcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-23T12:23:48.711Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Melatonin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2025

K. Ray Chaudhuri
Affiliation:
King's College London
Peter Jenner
Affiliation:
King's College London
Valentina Leta
Affiliation:
King's College London
Shelley Jones
Affiliation:
King's College London
Iro Boura
Affiliation:
St. George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece
Get access

Summary

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine or N-[2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]acetamide) is a tryptophan-derived hormone and an antioxidant, produced primarily in the pineal gland. Exogenous melatonin is an amphiphilic, white–cream to yellowish crystalline powder, unchanged in the entire pH range. It has a molecular weight of 232.28 and an empirical formula of C13H16N2O2, while its chemical structure resembles serotonin.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Suggested Reading

Ma, H, Yan, J, Sun, W, Jiang, M, Zhang, Y. Melatonin treatment for sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14: 784314.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Medeiros, CA, de Bruin, PFC, Lopes, LA, Magalhães, MC, de Lourdes Seabra, M, de Bruin, VMS. Effect of exogenous melatonin on sleep and motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. J Neurol 2007; 254(4): 459464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
St Louis, EK, Boeve, AR, Boeve, BF. REM sleep behavior disorder in Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies. Mov Disord 2017; 32(5): 645658.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

References

AHFS Drug information, 2012. Bethesda: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Accessed on 4 December 2022 via www.medicinescomplete.com.Google Scholar
Batla, A, Simeoni, S, Uchiyama, T, deMin, L, Baldwin, J, Melbourne, C, Islam, S, Bhatia, KP, Pakzad, M, Eriksson, S, Panicker, JN. Exploratory pilot study of exogenous sustained-release melatonin on nocturia in Parkinson’s disease. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28(6): 18841892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Besag, FMC, Vasey, MJ, Lao, KSJ, Wong, ICK. Adverse events associated with melatonin for the treatment of primary or secondary sleep disorders: a systematic review. CNS Drugs 2019; 33(12): 11671186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biggio, G, Biggio, F, Talani, G, Mostellino, MC, Aguglia, A, Aguglia, E, Palagini, L. Melatonin: from neurobiology to treatment. Brain Sci 2021; 11(9): 1121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carrillo-Vico, A, Lardone, PJ, Alvarez-Sánchez, N, Rodríguez-Rodríguez, A, Guerrero, JM. Melatonin: buffering the immune system. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14(4): 86388683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Erland, LAE, Saxena, PK. Melatonin natural health products and supplements: presence of serotonin and significant variability of melatonin content. J Clin Sleep Med 2017; 13(2): 275281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Filali, S, Bergamelli, C, Tall, ML, Salmon, D, Laleye, D, Dhelens, C, Diouf, E, Pivot, C, Pirot, F. Formulation, stability testing, and analytical characterization of melatonin-based preparation for clinical trial. J Pharm Anal 2017; 7(4): 237243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, MV, Danielsen, AK, Hageman, I, Rosenberg, J, Gögenur, I. The therapeutic or prophylactic effect of exogenous melatonin against depression and depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24(11): 17191728.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harpsøe, NG, Anderson, LP, Gögenur, I, Rosenberg, J. Clinical pharmacokinetics of melatonin: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2015; 71(8): 901909.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jiménez-Delgado, A, Ortiz, GG, Delgado-Lara, DL, González-Usigli, HA, González-Ortiz, LJ, Cid-Hernández, M, Cruz-Serrano, JA, Pacheo-Moisés, FP. Effect of melatonin administration on mitochondrial activity and oxidative stress markers in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2021; 2021: 5577541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joint Formulary Committee. British National Formulary (online). London: BMJ Group and Pharmaceutical Press. Accessed on 4 December 2022 via www.medicinescomplete.com.Google Scholar
Li, C, Ma, D, Li, M, Wei, T, Zhao, X, Heng, Y, Ma, D, Anto, EO, Zhang, Y, Niu, M, Zhang, W. The therapeutic effect of exogenous melatonin on depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13: 737972.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luboshitzky, R, Shen-Orr, Z, Nave, R, Lavi, S, Lavie, P. Melatonin administration alters semen quality in healthy men. J Androl 2002; 23(4): 572578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGrane, IR, Leung, JG, St Louis, EK, Boeve, BF. Melatonin therapy for REM sleep behavior disorder: a critical review of evidence. Sleep Med 2015; 16(1): 1926.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Melatonin. In: Brayfield, A (Ed.), Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference. London: The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Accessed on 4 December 2022 via www.medicinescomplete.com.Google Scholar
Melatonin. In: DRUGDEX® System (electronic version). Truven Health Analytics, Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA. Accessed on 4 December 2022 via www.micromedexsolutions.com.Google Scholar
Summary of product characteristics – Adaflex 1 mg tablets. AGB-Pharma AB. Electronic Medicines Compendium: Adaflex 1 mg tablets – summary of product characteristics (SmPC) – (emc). Accessed on 4 December 2022 via www.medicines.org.uk.Google Scholar
Xu, C, He, Z, Li, J. Melatonin as a potential neuroprotectant: mechanisms in subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced early brain injury. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14: 899678.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Melatonin
  • K. Ray Chaudhuri, King's College London, Peter Jenner, King's College London, Valentina Leta, King's College London, Shelley Jones, King's College London, Iro Boura, St. George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece
  • Book: The Movement Disorders Prescriber's Guide to Parkinson's Disease
  • Online publication: 20 February 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009222648.027
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Melatonin
  • K. Ray Chaudhuri, King's College London, Peter Jenner, King's College London, Valentina Leta, King's College London, Shelley Jones, King's College London, Iro Boura, St. George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece
  • Book: The Movement Disorders Prescriber's Guide to Parkinson's Disease
  • Online publication: 20 February 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009222648.027
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Melatonin
  • K. Ray Chaudhuri, King's College London, Peter Jenner, King's College London, Valentina Leta, King's College London, Shelley Jones, King's College London, Iro Boura, St. George General Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece
  • Book: The Movement Disorders Prescriber's Guide to Parkinson's Disease
  • Online publication: 20 February 2025
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009222648.027
Available formats
×