Melatoninis an amine hormone mainly produced by the pineal gland of mammals and humans, the chemical name is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine. Melatonin biosynthesis is restricted by photoperiod. Under the control of the optical nerve, the pineal gland is converted from tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan, which is further converted to 5-hydroxytryptamine, and then converted to N-acetyl-5 under the action of N-acetyltransferase, which finally synthesizes melatonin, so that the content in the body changes in a circadian rhythm. The secretion of melatonin at night is 5 to 10 times more than that in the daytime, and peaks from 2:00 to 3:00 in the morning. The results of Hakola et al.'s study of melatonin levels in the saliva of night shift workers also confirmed this circadian rhythm. Melatonin biosynthesis also has a lot to do with age, it can enter the fetus from the placenta, and it can also be given to the newborn through breastfeeding. Therefore, a very small amount of melatonin can also be detected in newborn infants, and the secretion does not increase until the age of three months, and shows a more obvious circadian rhythm phenomenon. The amount is the highest, and the secretion amount decreases slightly in puberty, and then gradually decreases with increasing age. At the end of puberty, it is lower than that in childhood, and the circadian rhythm gradually flattens or even disappears in old age.
Decreased levels of melatonin and decreased sleep are one of the important hallmarks of human brain aging. Therefore, supplementing melatonin from outside the body can maintain the melatonin level in the body in a young state, adjust and restore the circadian rhythm, not only can deepen sleep, improve sleep quality, but more importantly, improve the functional state of the entire body and improve life quality, slow down the aging process. Therefore, as a new type of hypnotic drug, melatonin has unique advantages:
(1) A small dose (0.1-0.3 mg) has an ideal hypnotic effect; (2) It is an endogenous substance that acts through the regulation of the endocrine system. It is not a foreign substance to the body. It has its own metabolic pathway in the body and will not cause the accumulation of drugs and their metabolites in the body; (3) The biological half-life is short, and it will drop to the normal physiological level after a few hours of oral administration; (4) Minimal toxicity.
In addition, melatonin has a strong function of regulating jet lag. Clinical studies have shown that comprehensive treatment of insomnia patients with melatonin and pure Chinese medicine Zhimianbao can achieve rapid and ideal curative effect.