Melatonin, a promising supplement in inflammatory bowel disease: a comprehensive review of evidences.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review and evaluate non-clinical and clinical studies on the efficacy of melatonin in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Results Summary
The majority of studies indicated melatonin has a positive impact on IBD with minimal side effects, primarily through free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory effects. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm efficacy and assess long-term side effects.
Population
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in both clinical and non-clinical studies.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin | decrease | inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) | non-clinical and clinical studies | - | has been found beneficial | #1 |
melatonin | decrease | IBD | the majority of these studies | - | has a positive impact | #2 |
melatonin | no change | side effects | the majority of these studies | - | no or negligible side effects | #3 |
melatonin | decrease | oxidative process | - | - | free radical scavenging | #4 |
melatonin | decrease | inflammation | - | - | diminishing inflammation | #5 |
Inflammation and oxidative process are associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Regarding anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potentials, melatonin has been found beneficial in several experimental and clinical studies including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our objective in this study is to review and evaluate all non-clinical and clinical studies on the efficacy of melatonin in IBD. All indexing databases were searched for inflammatory bowel disease' and 'melatonin' keywords, without time limit up to May 2011. Three clinical trials and fifteen non-clinical studies are reviewed and analyzed. The majority of these studies indicate that melatonin has a positive impact on IBD with no or negligible side effects. Such results have been mostly explained through free radical scavenging and diminishing inflammation. It is yet crucial to determine the efficacy of melatonin in combination with other established drugs in more clinical trials, not only for further confirmation of its efficacy, but also to investigate its possible side effects in longer durations of therapy.