Melatonin
Melatonin is an indoleamine best known as a regulator of circadian rhythms and sleep-wake timing, but it is also studied as a pleiotropic bioactive molecule with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondria-modulating properties.
Melatonin is an indoleamine best known as a regulator of circadian rhythms and sleep-wake timing, but it is also studied as a pleiotropic bioactive molecule with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondria-modulating properties. In biomedical research, it is frequently discussed as a therapeutic candidate rather than only as an endogenous hormone, particularly in contexts where oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and mitochondrial injury contribute to disease.
Recent work has examined melatonin across a broad range of conditions, including type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome-associated tissue injury, Parkinson’s disease-related biomarker patterns, and age-related ovarian and stem-cell dysfunction. Mechanistically, these studies place melatonin in pathways involving Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), Nrf2, mitophagy, mitochondrial fission, RANKL/OPG signaling, and inflammatory mediators such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α. It has also been considered alongside other agents such as quercetin, resveratrol, sirolimus, cholecalciferol, ubidecarenone, and insulin therapy in translational and preclinical settings.
Where the papers sit
18 papers from the last 6 months study melatonin directly · updated from PubMed 6 Oct 2026
Study type 4 clinical trials · 1 human data · 12 preclinical · 1 unclassified
Themes one subject · 1 paradigm shift
Those 18 are all about one subject.
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Melatonin-Based Health Interventions
Melatonin is being tested across sleep, pain, neuroprotection, metabolic injury, inflammation, bone formation, and drug delivery rather than moving toward one established indication. Clinical work emphasizes insomnia and perioperative sleep, including adjunctive cognitive behavioural therapy and weighted blankets. Preclinical studies repeatedly examine mitochondrial protection, autophagy, NRF2, RANKL/OPG, pyroptosis, and gut microbiota. Pharmacokinetic delivery systems and combination treatments are expanding its potential, while effects on glucose tolerance and cardiovascular risk remain important cautions.
Melatonin is not uniformly benign or physiologically neutral across doses and biological systems
The randomized crossover trial in healthy adults and the pilocarpine-induced seizure-like model in zebrafish larvae both challenge the set’s prevailing treatment of melatonin as a broadly safe therapeutic agent. In adults, melatonin worsened glucose tolerance, reduced first-phase insulin secretion, and impaired insulin feedback inhibition, with effects examined in relation to the MTNR1B diabetes-risk variant; in larvae, lower concentrations reduced seizure-like responses but higher concentrations altered spontaneous contractions and increased embryonic heart rate despite no mortality or hatching effects. Together, these findings replace a simple benefit-and-safety framing with a dose- and context-dependent account in which melatonin can also disrupt metabolic or physiological function. 42346809Jun 42493757Jul
Papers
The 18 papers from the last 6 months that study melatonin directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Melatonin-Based Health Interventions (18)
- Melatonin to improve sleep in patients undergoing major surgery: protocol for a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial (MELROSE). BMJ open · 29 Sept 2026 PMID 42810800
- Implementation and real-world effectiveness of a weighted blanket intervention and standard melatonin treatment for children with ADHD and sleep problems: protocol for a pragmatic longitudinal cohort study. BMC psychiatry · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42642740
- MELODY trial: study protocol for a 12-week randomised controlled trial of adjunctive melatonin, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or pill placebo to improve depressive symptoms in young adults with mood disorders. BMJ open · 24 Aug 2026 PMID 42637255
- Melatonin Ameliorates Neuropathic Pain in Mice by Regulating Pyroptosis Through Gut Microbiota-Mediated Linoleic Acid. Molecular neurobiology · 15 Aug 2026 PMID 42603252
- Multifunctional dual drug-loaded Gel-Alg/MINO/MEL composite hydrogel for combating three-dimensional multi-species biofilm and experimental periodontitis treatment. Clinical oral investigations · 6 Aug 2026 PMID 42560526
- Melatonin Modulates Behavioral and Physiological Responses in a Concentration-dependent Manner in a Pilocarpine-induced Seizure-like Model Using Zebrafish Larvae. Neurotoxicity research · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42493757
- The protective role of melatonin on the brain in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Metabolic brain disease · 1 Jul 2026 PMID 42384283
- Melatonin Impairs Glucose Tolerance, First-Phase Insulin Secretion, and Insulin Feedback Inhibition; Interaction With MTNR1B Diabetes Risk Variant. Diabetes care · 25 Jun 2026 PMID 42346809
- Dissolving Microneedles for Transdermal Delivery of Melatonin: Fabrication, Characterization, and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Evaluation in Mice. ACS applied bio materials · 17 Jun 2026 PMID 42306921
- Melatonin alleviates retrieval-induced forgetting deficits in acute sleep deprivation mice. Behavioural brain research · 6 Jun 2026 PMID 42250732
- Melatonin and cardiovascular risk: an NHANES reality check after recent heart failure concerns. Open heart · 21 May 2026 PMID 42167796
- Melatonin protects liver and periodontal tissues from inflammation exacerbated by metabolic syndrome-periodontitis association. Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany) · 19 May 2026 PMID 42154263
- Regulatory effects of Yixin Anshen Granules on neurotransmitters and receptor expression in insomnia model rodents. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 7 May 2026 PMID 42097340
- Melatonin improves osteogenic differentiation in a high-glucose environment by activating NRF2 to promote autophagy through the regulation of cross-talk between macrophages and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 7 May 2026 PMID 42096091
- Melatonin and Coenzyme Q10 mitigate Senescence in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Restoring Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Proteostasis. PloS one · 29 Apr 2026 PMID 42054487
- The molecular mechanism of melatonin in regulating osteoporosis based on the RANKL/OPG signaling axis. Journal of molecular endocrinology · 23 Apr 2026 PMID 42023609
- Melatonin and Quercetin Co-Treatment Attenuates Hepatic Damage in Diabetic Rats by Mitigating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 23 Apr 2026 PMID 42021540
- Personalized metabolite biomarker predictions reveal heterogeneous characteristics of Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinson's disease · 21 Apr 2026 PMID 42014729
By study type
Clinical trials (4)
- Melatonin to improve sleep in patients undergoing major surgery: protocol for a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial (MELROSE). BMJ open · 29 Sept 2026 PMID 42810800
- Implementation and real-world effectiveness of a weighted blanket intervention and standard melatonin treatment for children with ADHD and sleep problems: protocol for a pragmatic longitudinal cohort study. BMC psychiatry · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42642740
- MELODY trial: study protocol for a 12-week randomised controlled trial of adjunctive melatonin, digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia or pill placebo to improve depressive symptoms in young adults with mood disorders. BMJ open · 24 Aug 2026 PMID 42637255
- Melatonin Impairs Glucose Tolerance, First-Phase Insulin Secretion, and Insulin Feedback Inhibition; Interaction With MTNR1B Diabetes Risk Variant. Diabetes care · 25 Jun 2026 PMID 42346809
Human data, design not indexed (1)
- Melatonin and cardiovascular risk: an NHANES reality check after recent heart failure concerns. Open heart · 21 May 2026 PMID 42167796
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (12)
- Melatonin Ameliorates Neuropathic Pain in Mice by Regulating Pyroptosis Through Gut Microbiota-Mediated Linoleic Acid. Molecular neurobiology · 15 Aug 2026 PMID 42603252
- Multifunctional dual drug-loaded Gel-Alg/MINO/MEL composite hydrogel for combating three-dimensional multi-species biofilm and experimental periodontitis treatment. Clinical oral investigations · 6 Aug 2026 PMID 42560526
- Melatonin Modulates Behavioral and Physiological Responses in a Concentration-dependent Manner in a Pilocarpine-induced Seizure-like Model Using Zebrafish Larvae. Neurotoxicity research · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42493757
- The protective role of melatonin on the brain in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Metabolic brain disease · 1 Jul 2026 PMID 42384283
- Dissolving Microneedles for Transdermal Delivery of Melatonin: Fabrication, Characterization, and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Evaluation in Mice. ACS applied bio materials · 17 Jun 2026 PMID 42306921
- Melatonin alleviates retrieval-induced forgetting deficits in acute sleep deprivation mice. Behavioural brain research · 6 Jun 2026 PMID 42250732
- Melatonin protects liver and periodontal tissues from inflammation exacerbated by metabolic syndrome-periodontitis association. Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany) · 19 May 2026 PMID 42154263
- Regulatory effects of Yixin Anshen Granules on neurotransmitters and receptor expression in insomnia model rodents. Journal of ethnopharmacology · 7 May 2026 PMID 42097340
- Melatonin improves osteogenic differentiation in a high-glucose environment by activating NRF2 to promote autophagy through the regulation of cross-talk between macrophages and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 7 May 2026 PMID 42096091
- Melatonin and Coenzyme Q10 mitigate Senescence in Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Restoring Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Proteostasis. PloS one · 29 Apr 2026 PMID 42054487
- The molecular mechanism of melatonin in regulating osteoporosis based on the RANKL/OPG signaling axis. Journal of molecular endocrinology · 23 Apr 2026 PMID 42023609
- Melatonin and Quercetin Co-Treatment Attenuates Hepatic Damage in Diabetic Rats by Mitigating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 23 Apr 2026 PMID 42021540
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (1)
- Personalized metabolite biomarker predictions reveal heterogeneous characteristics of Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinson's disease · 21 Apr 2026 PMID 42014729
Written from 18 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-15. Last written: 2026-08-28 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.