Back to Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins & Minerals

Melatonin SignalingEvidence & Dosage

Melatonin as a multi-system hormone: antioxidant, immunomodulatory, mitochondrial, and neuroprotective effects beyond sleep.

Studies last updated

Evidence at a glance

Total studies
968
With abstract
50
Meta / Systematic / RCT
41
Highly cited
46
Publication years
1998–2026

Melatonin Signaling in the context of Vitamins & Minerals

This topic is part of our "Vitamins & Minerals" world. There you'll find methodology, evidence and the highest-impact levers — plus the order in which they sensibly build on each other.

Go to Vitamins & Minerals

Top studies on Melatonin Signaling

Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.

  1. Exposure to room light before bedtime suppresses melatonin onset and shortens melatonin duration in humans.

    J Clin Endocrinol Metab2011n=116other116 influential citations

    CONTEXT: Millions of individuals habitually expose themselves to room light in the hours before bedtime, yet the effects of this behavior on melatonin signaling are not well recognized. OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that exposure to…

  2. Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Dev Med Child Neurol2011n=35Meta-Analysis98 influential citations

    <h4>Aim</h4>The aim of this study was to investigate melatonin-related findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, and pervasive developmental disorders, not otherwise…

    Finding: Melatonin administration in ASD is associated with improved sleep parameters, better daytime behavior, and minimal side effects.

  3. Melatonin signaling and cell protection function.

    FASEB J2010Review82 influential citations

    Besides its well-known regulatory role on circadian rhythm, the pineal gland hormone melatonin has other biological functions and a distinct metabolism in various cell types and peripheral tissues. In different tissues and organs,…

  4. Melatonin alleviates neuroinflammation in ischemic stroke by regulating cyclic GMP-AMP synthase- mediated microglial pyroptosis signaling.

    Neural Regen Res2026Study60 influential citations

    JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202606000-00051/figure1/v/2026-02-11T151048Z/r/image-tiff Inflammation plays a key role in driving the secondary brain injury that follows ischemic stroke. Melatonin is an endogenous neuroendocrine hormone that…

  5. The Role of Melatonin to Ameliorate Oxidative Stress in Sperm Cells.

    Int J Mol Sci2023Systematic Review57 influential citations

    It is widely accepted that oxidative stress (OS) coming from a wide variety of causes has detrimental effects on male fertility. Antioxidants could have a significant role in the treatment of male infertility, and the current systematic…

  6. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles alleviates polystyrene nanoplastics induced growth inhibition by modulating carbon and nitrogen metabolism via melatonin signaling in maize.

    202457 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>Nanoplastics, are emerging pollutants, present a potential hazard to food security and human health. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Nano-TiO<sub>2</sub>), serving as nano-fertilizer in agriculture, may be important in…

  7. Ramelteon for the treatment of insomnia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Sleep Med2014n=581Meta-Analysis46 influential citations

    Ramelteon is the first selective melatonin receptor agonist and currently is approved in the United States and Japan for the treatment of insomnia. Our meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of ramelteon for the treatment of…

  8. The potential role of melatonin in retarding intervertebral disc ageing and degeneration: A systematic review.

    Ageing Res Rev2021Systematic Review45 influential citations

    Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common degenerative disease of the musculoskeletal system that develops with age. It is regarded as the main cause of chronic low back pain in the elderly. IDD has various causes, including…

  9. Phytomelatonin: Biosynthesis, Signaling, and Functions.

    Annual review of plant biology2025D34 influential citations

    Phytomelatonin has attracted significant attention over the years for its roles in promoting plant growth and enhancing stress resistance. The biosynthetic pathway of phytomelatonin is more intricate than that of melatonin in animals,…

  10. Antitumor effect of melatonin on breast cancer in experimental models: A systematic review.

    Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer2023n=75Systematic Review33 influential citations

    Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant neoplasm in females. While conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are available, they are highly invasive and toxic to oncological patients. Melatonin is a promising…

Frequently asked

What dosage was studied?
• Exposure to room light (<200 lux) or dim light (<3 lux) in the 8 h preceding bedtime (Room light <200 lux; dim light <3 lux) • Melatonin (Not reported) • Melatonin signaling / melatonin exposure (not reported)
Which population does the evidence apply to?
Most studies investigated: healthy; unknown.
Are there safety considerations for Melatonin Signaling?
• No adverse events reported in the excerpt. • Reported side effects were minimal to none. • No adverse events reported in this review abstract. • not reported

More topics in Vitamins & Minerals

Magnesium

Magnesium types, sleep, cramps, stress, and dosage.

Creatine Monohydrate

Power, muscle building, cognition, and safety of creatine.

Ashwagandha

Stress, sleep, cortisol, and possible side effects.

Melatonin Optimization

Melatonin needs, dosing (0.3-5 mg), extended-release forms, circadian rhythm, and long-term safety considerations.

Caffeine + L-Theanine

Caffeine, L-Theanine, focus, alertness and tolerance.

NAD+ Precursors

NMN, NR, NAD+, aging biology and evidence landscape.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

EPA, DHA, ALA: daily needs, sources (fish, algae), Omega-3 index as biomarker, and cardiovascular RCT data.

Vitamin Optimization

Vitamin optimization strategies: needs assessment, bioavailability, synergies, and safety upper limits for the most relevant micronutrients.

Animal vs Human Studies

Mouse ≠ human — translatability from resveratrol to rapamycin is shaky.

Bias

Sponsorship, selection bias, confirmation bias, industry funding.

Cardiovascular System

Blood pressure, heart rate, endothelium, cholesterol, cardiovascular risk factors.

Contraindications

When something must NOT be taken: pregnancy, pre-existing conditions.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 / Ubiquinol)

Mitochondria, statins, energy, and cardiovascular outcomes.

Correlation vs Causation

The classic misinterpretation of popular health studies.

Curcumin

Inflammation, bioavailability (piperine), turmeric extracts, and clinical outcomes.

Digestive System

Stomach acid, enzymes, absorption, the gut-brain axis, the microbiome.

Effect Size

p-value vs. practical relevance, Cohen's d, confidence intervals.

Ferritin & Iron

Ferritin, transferrin saturation, iron deficiency vs. iron overload.

Glutathione

Master antioxidant, liposomal vs. NAC forms and detoxification.

Immune System

Innate vs. adaptive immunity, inflammation, autoimmunity.

Related topics from other worlds

Peptides

Peptides Overview

Peptides, BPC-157, TB-500, safety and the state of the evidence.

Peptides

Sermorelin

GHRH analog (1-29) — physiological GH pulses, an older evidence base.

Performance

Amphetamines

Stimulants, off-label ADHD use, cognitive vs. physical effects.

Performance

Competition Mentality

Arousal regulation, visualization, routines under pressure.

Performance

Flexibility

Static vs. dynamic stretching, PNF, mobility vs. flexibility.

Performance

Maximal Strength

Neural vs. muscular adaptation, 1RM training, periodization.