Ingredient intelligence
Melatonin
Antioxidant · Melatonin · C13H16N2O2
Melatonin is an indoleamine with described receptor and antioxidant activity. Skin itself expresses melatonin-pathway enzymes, which is why it appears in cutaneous research.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C13H16N2O2
- Molecular weight
- 232.28 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 896
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:16796
Biological targets
Melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A)
high confidenceactivates · receptor
UniProt P48039Melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B)
medium confidenceactivates · receptor
UniProt P49286Reactive oxygen species
medium confidenceinhibits · complex
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
drag to pan · hover to isolate a path · click a node for detail
2 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Melatonin is molecule Melatonin — high confidence
- Melatonin activates Melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) — high confidence
- Melatonin activates Melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B) — medium confidence
- Melatonin inhibits Reactive oxygen species — medium confidence
- Melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) encoded by MTNR1A — high confidence
- Melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B) encoded by MTNR1B — medium confidence
- MTNR1A participates in Melatonin receptor signalling — medium confidence
- MTNR1B participates in Melatonin receptor signalling — medium confidence
- ASMT participates in Melatonin receptor signalling — medium confidence
- MTNR1A participates in Detoxification of reactive oxygen species — medium confidence
- MTNR1B participates in Detoxification of reactive oxygen species — medium confidence
- ASMT participates in Detoxification of reactive oxygen species — medium confidence
- Melatonin receptor signalling associated with Oxidative stress response — medium confidence
- Detoxification of reactive oxygen species associated with Oxidative stress response — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Melatonin receptor signalling
medium confidenceG-protein-coupled melatonin receptor cascade.
Reactome R-HSA-419812
Detoxification of reactive oxygen species
medium confidenceRadical scavenging described in cutaneous models.
Reactome R-HSA-3299685
Evidence engine
Insufficient
Not enough curated evidence to characterise this ingredient.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
21
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Review1
- Total studies
- 1
- Human studies
- 0
- Largest sample
- Data unavailable
- Range
- 2018–2018
Index breakdown
- Study design quality45% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share0% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume32% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size0% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication0% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency60% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
2018
Melatonin in human skin: local synthesis and antioxidative protection
Reviewsample size unavailable · Journal of Pineal Research (review)
Ingredient fingerprint
13 nodes · 19 relationships · seed "melatonin"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
1 curated study
Melatonin in human skin: local synthesis and antioxidative protection
Summarises evidence that skin expresses melatonin-pathway enzymes and receptors, and that melatonin scavenges reactive species in cutaneous models.
Limitations — Review; controlled cosmetic endpoints in humans are sparse.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 896retrieved 2026-09-14
- UniProt P48039retrieved 2026-09-14
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