Melatonin: A versatile neuroprotective molecule in neurodegenerative diseases: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Melatonin (MLT) or N-acetyl-5-methoxy tryptamine is a methoxy amine which is mostly known as the secretory product of the pineal gland. Besides regulating circadian rhythm, MLT exhibits numerous other functions including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective actions. Because of the improved longevity of humans, neurodegenerative disorders are becoming steadily more common which is leading to a steady rise in costs for maintenance and management of the patients. Because of the common hallmarks of these conditions such as mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and oxidative stress, it is noted that MLT could be a beneficial agent in these conditions. In this review, we aimed to summarize the functions and the applications of MLT in different neurodegenerative disorders along with the proposed underlying mechanisms to illustrate how this molecule may be useful in treatment strategies for these highly debilitating diseases. METHODS: We compile data and papers from various databases like google scholar and PubMed to collect information on the impact of melatonin and its mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. RESULTS: The gathered data suggests that melatonin could be helpful in neurodegenerative disorders by ameliorating inflammation and oxidative stress, improving mitochondrial functions and reducing neuronal cell death. CONCLUSION: This review indicates that melatonin has multiple neuroprotective effects via diverse mechanisms detailed in the paper, and could be beneficial in treating neurodegenerative conditions. Although further investigations about long-term use of melatonin and optimal dosage should be evaluated in order to optimize the treatment strategies.