Melatonin: comprehensive profile.

This chapter includes the aspects of melatonin. The drug is synthesized in the pineal gland starting from tryptophane or synthetically by using indole as starting material. Melatonin has been used as an adjunct to interleukin-2 therapy for malignant neoplasms, as contraceptive, in the management of various forms of insomnia, to alleviate jet lag following long flights, and finally as free radical scavenger and hence as an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. The chapter discusses the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics and presents various method of analysis of this drug such as biological analysis, spectroscopic analysis, and chromatographic techniques of separation. It also discusses its physical properties such as solubility characteristics, X-ray powder diffraction pattern, and thermal methods of analysis. The chapter is concluded with a discussion on its biological properties such as activity, toxicity, and safety.