Dietary Melatonin Supplementation Could Be a Promising Preventing/Therapeutic Approach for a Variety of Liver Diseases

Abstract

In the therapeutic strategies, the role of diet is a well-established factor that can also have an important role in liver diseases. Melatonin, identified in animals, has many antioxidant properties and it was after discovered also in plants, named phytomelatonin. These substances have a positive effect during aging and in pathological conditions too. In particular, it is important to underline that the amount of melatonin produced by pineal gland in human decreases during lifetime and its reduction in blood could be related to pathological conditions in which mitochondria and oxidative stress play a pivotal role. Moreover, it has been indicated that melatonin/phytomelatonin containing foods may provide dietary melatonin, so their ingestion through balanced diets could be sufficient to confer health benefits. In this review, the classification of liver diseases and an overview of the most important aspects of melatonin/phytomelatonin, concerning the differences among their synthesis, their presence in foods and their role in health and diseases, are summarized. The findings suggest that melatonin/phytomelatonin supplementation with diet should be considered important in preventing different disease settings, in particular in liver. Currently, more studies are needed to strengthen the potential beneficial effects of melatonin/phytomelatonin in liver diseases and to better clarify the molecular mechanisms of action.

Promising Antineoplastic Actions of Melatonin

“…Indeed, cisplatin predominantly exerted a cytostatic action that led to a reduction in cell proliferation over time, whereas 5-FU triggered reactive oxygen species-dependent apoptosis, resulting in a drastic decrease in cell viability ( Pariente et al, 2017 , 2018 ). Likewise, melatonin has been proven to attenuate antitumor actions of cisplatin in human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells via a counter-balance between the roles of apoptotic- and autophagy-related proteins ( Bennukul et al, 2014 ; Bonomini et al, 2018 ). Despite this, it has been observed that melatonin enhances cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in different human ovarian cancer cells, like SKOV3, HTOA, and OVCAR-3 ( Futagami et al, 2001 ; Kim et al, 2012 ; Pariente et al, 2017 ).…”

Bioavailability of Melatonin from Lentil Sprouts and Its Role in the Plasmatic Antioxidant Status in Rats

“…Besides the significant influence of the light-dark cycle, nutritional factors such as macro-and micro-nutrient intake, meal timing, and type of diet can also modulate the concentration of melatonin in plasma [8]. The inclusion of melatonin-rich plant foods in the diet may promote human health owing to its biological activities and bioavailability [9,10]. Melatonin is broadly used as a food supplement worldwide, including in the United States and Europe, to counteract physiologically diminished activity of the pineal gland [11].…”

Beneficial Effects of Melatonin on Apolipoprotein-E Knockout Mice by Morphological and 18F-FDG PET/CT Assessments

“…MLT, an indoleamine physiologically produced by the pineal gland mainly during the night as well by other organs, is often available as a dietary supplement [11][12][13]. It is involved in several functions and has powerful antioxidant properties [14][15][16][17]. MLT also improves endothelial functions and possesses anti-inflammatory properties [18].…”