Melatonin | PharmaMelatonin™

Melatonin | PharmaMelatonin™

Properties: We all know that good sleep is crucial for proper functioning of any organism. Nevertheless, our sleep duration keeps getting shorter. Over the past century, the time of night rest has decreased by an hour (on average) every 20 years. Modern, fast-paced world overloaded with information often leaves us sleepless. Scientists indicate that more and more people have some kind of difficulty with sleeping. How can we deal with that?

The circadian rhythm is regulated by melatonin. The production of this neurohormone occurs in the brain and is stimulated by darkness. These days, ever present light and illumination coming from smartphone screens successfully downregulate the secretion of melatonin and thereby shorten our sleep duration. Thus, delivering to the organism an extra portion of this neurohormone allows us to maximally exploit the time left for regeneration. Sleep deprivation not only lowers our performance at work, but also adversely affects the ability to focus, which can increase the likelihood of a road accident for example. 

Lack of sleep has a negative influence on our mood, too. It makes us irritable and forgetful. This, in turn, can lead to stressful situations, which will make falling asleep even more complicated. And so we fall into a downward spiral. Scientific studies prove that melatonin supplementation improves the mood and helps to deal with daily stressors. Melatonin can also protect the organism against other types of stress. It is a strong antioxidant, and thus it can prevent the phenomenon of oxidative stress. Moreover, it limits the formation of harmful protein deposits in the brain. Therefore, it helps to maintain mental fitness longer. Lastly, it has been demonstrated that melatonin stimulates the metabolism, which tends to get slower as we age. Maybe that’s why high activity of melatonin was observed in people who lived over 100 years? Or maybe they could live for so long thanks to melatonin?

Occurrence: Melatonin occurs naturally in animals, plants, and microorganisms. In the human body it is secreted mostly in the pineal gland, a small organ found in the center of the human brain. Its tiny amounts are also produced in the retina, digestive tract, bone marrow and platelets. It is also present in plant-based food. Melatonin can be found in cereals: oats, wheat, barley and rice, as well as e.g. tomatoes, corn and grapes. However, its amount is highly variable and depends on the plant’s type, cultivation method, soil conditions and degree of development. Melatonin can be found in herbs: Chinese lemon (Schisandra chinensis), Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis) and red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza).

Biochemistry: Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine; MEL) is an organic chemical compound classified as a biogenic amine (derivative of serotonin). It is well soluble both in water and lipids. Thus, it easily crosses biological barriers of the organism. Bioavailability of MEL in the organism is usually around 15%. After oral administration it is metabolized in the liver and, partially, in the kidneys. It is a hormone derivative of tryptophan (Trp), and therefore serotonin. Melatonin is also a strong antioxidant. It has the ability to neutralize free radicals and supports the functioning of antioxidative enzymes. Thereby, it protects proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids.

Fun fact: The main role of melatonin in the human body is the regulation of circadian rhythm: the cycle of wakefulness and sleep. Similarly, in plants melatonin regulates leaf and flower movements at night, as well as plant growth and seed germination.