Gut melatonin: A potent candidate in the diversified journey of melatonin research

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This paper investigates the production melatonin in the gut, notably it being unrelated to the day/light cycle and how eating patterns affect its production, and what the produced melatonin may be used for.

Key takeaways

  • The Gut is one of the leading sources of melatonin production in the body

  • Light has now impact on amount of melatonin produced in the gut

  • Increasing Tryptophan intake increases production

  • L-Tryptophan => Serotonin => Melatonin

  • Once produced, it stays in gut or enters circulation

  • In gut melatonin has paracrine, autocrine or luminal actions

    Paracrine: a cell targets a nearby cell
    Autocrine: a cell targets itself, releasing a signal that can bind to receptors on its own surface.
    Luminal: acting on interior of cell

  • In circulation melatonin has endocrine action

    Endocrine: the hormone is distributed in blood and binds to distant target cells