The role of Melatonin in reducing Obesity and its safety of use: A Review

Abstract

Melatonin is the chiefly hormone formed via the pineal gland, its endogenous synthesis occur during the dark phase and controlled by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus SCN, melatonin is a long-established and widely distributed chemical in nature that exhibits a variety of modes of action and functions in almost every living thing regulating the circadian rhythms, sleep and wakefulness cycle, energy metabolism in addition to its ability to regulate the raleasing of many cytokines participate in weight plus appetite control . It has been established that the hormone is participated in the controlling of body weight, food intake, glucose metabolism and energy balance, the important role of melatonin in modifiable adipose tissue, lipid profile, inflammation and oxidative stress opens up great hopes for the treatment of obesity. Since obesity is a serious public health issue which results from the imbalance between the amount of calories eaten and the amount of energy expended and predisposes to various metabolic diseases, so this review has been focused on some physiological function of melatonin , its role in the controlling of energy equilibrium and reducing obesity in addition to the benefits of its supplementation.