Melatonin rich plants: Production, significance in agriculture and human health

Abstract

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has many therapeutic benefits for humans such as regulation of sleep cycle, aging, depression, and cancer. Melatonin was first discovered in fruits and vegetables in the mid-1990s. Since then, Melatonin has been recognized in large number of species including medicinal plants such as St. John's wort, feverfew and Echinacea. The melatonin content varies from plant to plant due to genetic and environmental factors; therefore there is a need to have integrated system (such as bioreactors) for large-scale propagation of the high melatonin containing elite plant germplasm under controlled environmental conditions. Recently, major advances have been made to understand the melatonin biosynthetic pathway in plants. Melatonin performs important roles in plants working as a growth regulator as well as environmental stress protector. The enhancement of endogenous melatonin levels in plants is beneficial in both agriculture as well as in human health.