Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Melatonin

Melatonin is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, an indoleamine hormone synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan via serotonin and secreted principally by the pineal gland in vertebrates. Its production is governed by the light-dark cycle through retinal input to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, rising in darkness and falli…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 96× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2637-6075 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Melatonin is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, an indoleamine hormone synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan via serotonin and secreted principally by the pineal gland in vertebrates. Its production is governed by the light-dark cycle through retinal input to the suprachiasmatic nucleus, rising in darkness and falling with light exposure, which makes melatonin a central chronobiotic signal that entrains circadian rhythms and promotes sleep onset. Acting through MT1 and MT2 receptors and as a direct antioxidant, melatonin influences sleep-wake regulation, seasonal and reproductive physiology, immune function, and free-radical scavenging, and it is studied in human breast milk and across the lifespan. It is widely used as a supplement for sleep disorders, circadian disruption, and jet lag, and is also a molecule of broad biological interest across organisms, including its antioxidant roles. Research relevant to this area examines melatonin in breast milk and perinatal health, melatonin in healthy aging and muscle dysfunction, sleep biomarkers in a chronic-stress model, the pineal gland in drug dependence, circadian and delayed sleep phase phenomena, sleep disruption in clinical populations, and tryptophan metabolism. This peer-reviewed literature reflects the endocrine, chronobiological, and antioxidant dimensions of melatonin in sleep, circadian regulation, and physiology, situating this hormone within the broader study of organismal biology across plant and animal systems.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

2018

The Pineal Hypothesis for Drug Dependence

Crespi FrancescoCorresponding author
Biology, GSK Verona, Italy
Exact topic International Physiology Journal Cited by 2 doi:10.14302/issn.2578-8590.ipj-18-2524
2013

Kynurenines and Vitamin B6: Link Between Diabetes and Depression.

Oxenkrug GregoryCorresponding author
Psychiatry and Inflammation Program, Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, Boston MA, USA.
Exact topic Bioinformatics And Diabetes Cited by 31 doi:10.14302/issn.2374-9431.jbd-13-218

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 96 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Melatonin, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Plant and Animal Ecology (ISSN 2637-6075).

Journal editorial board
Dimitris Zianis · Greece Jasmin Mantilla Contreras · Germany Narcisa Vrinceanu · Romania

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.