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Melatonin: Pineal Gland
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Melatonin is a naturally occurring substance produced by the pineal gland located in the brains of mammals. It is, by definition, a hormone and has been found to be involved in circadian rhythms - those inner cycles that tell all mammals when to sleep and when to wake. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is located just beneath the center of the brain. Melatonin is ... manufactured synthetically and used as a supplement. Melatonin is synthesized from tryptophan and is the major hormone produced by the pineal gland. The melatonin when taken as a supplement is synthetically manufactured.
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Melatonin is a naturally-occurring hormone produced deep within the center of the brain by the pea-sized pineal gland. The pineal gland responds to the amount of light passing through the retina of the eye to trigger its activity. A message is then relayed to the hypothalamus which registers the intensity of the light. For example, at night, when only small amounts of light filter through the retina, the hypothalamus transmits a signal back to the pineal gland, encouraging the production of melatonin. When melatonin is released, the body prepares for sound sleep.
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Melatonin is synthesized endogenously by the pinealocytes of the pineal gland. The essential amino acid L-tryptophan is a precursor in the synthesis of melatonin. In this synthesis, L-tryptophan first gets metabolized to 5-hydroxytryptophan from which 5-hydroxytryptamine... known as serotonin, is made. 5-hydroxytryptamine is converted to melatonin in a two-step process, occurring mainly in the pineal gland. Melatonin is also known as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine and N-[2-(5-Methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl) ethyl] acetamide.
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MELATONIN--Melatonin, a hormone of the pineal gland ... produced by extra-pineal tissues, acts as a biological response modifier; it is postulated to act as a mediator of photic-induced anti-gonadotropic activity in photoperiodic mammals (Budavari, 1989; Calbiochem, 1995). Secretion is reported to increase during the night; and in humans it is implicated in the regulation of sleep, mood, puberty, and ovarian cycles. The synthetic counterpart, which is available as a prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drug/nutritional supplement as well as a fine organic chemical, has been promoted as an anticancer, radioprotective, contraceptive, antiobesity, antiaging and antifatigue agent, and antidote to jet lag and degenerative diseases (Garcia-Patterson et al., 1996). According to Olin (1996) melatonin is an FDA approved "orphan drug" prescribed for the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders in blind patients.
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Melatonin may be indicated for some forms of insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Research results are mixed with respect to claims that melatonin can abolish some of the symptoms of jet lag. Use of the supplement in cancer and immune disorders is unsupported by current research; there are some promising findings, but they are very preliminary. There is no evidence to substantiate claims that melatonin can delay aging, be useful in cardiovascular disease, depression, seasonal affective disorder or sexual dysfunction. Melatonin may be used to treat insomnia, delayed sleep phase syndrome, fibromyalgia, or jet lag. Melatonin is a hormone secreted at night by the pineal gland of the brain.
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Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and is often called the "hormone of darkness" because it is secreted in humans and other species only at night. The hormone, whose function has puzzled researchers for centuries, may affect all sorts of circadian and seasonal body rhythms, such as day-night variations in body temperature and the onset of puberty. Melatonin has been shown to help "reset" the body's internal clock in blind people, those suffering from jet lag, and shift workers who work nights and sleep during the day.
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Pineal Gland