Melatonin
Stocked in 10mg at MontanaPep in Great Falls, Montana. Sold for laboratory research use only.
| Size | Catalog no. | Price per vial |
|---|---|---|
| 10mg | MEL10 | $30 |
Classification
Endogenous indoleamine hormone of the pineal gland; a small molecule, not a peptide
Structure and chemistry
Melatonin is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, synthesised from tryptophan via serotonin. It is supplied here as a solution for laboratory research.
What the published research shows
Melatonin has one of the larger evidence bases of anything in this catalog. Meta-analyses cover sleep-onset latency, jet lag and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. Effect sizes for sleep onset are real but modest — typically minutes rather than hours — and the compound performs better for circadian phase-shifting than as a general sedative. Additional literature covers antioxidant activity and seasonal reproductive biology.
Mechanism of action
Acts at the MT1 and MT2 G-protein-coupled receptors, concentrated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, where it signals darkness and shifts circadian phase. It also has direct free-radical scavenging activity that does not require receptor binding.
Development history
Isolated and characterised in 1958 by Aaron Lerner and colleagues at Yale, from bovine pineal extracts, during work on a factor that lightened amphibian skin. Sold over the counter as a dietary supplement in the United States; prolonged-release melatonin is a prescription medicine in parts of Europe.
Current regulatory status
In the United States, oral melatonin is regulated as a dietary supplement. The research preparation supplied here is not an FDA-approved drug product and is supplied for laboratory research only.
Analytical testing
As a small molecule rather than a peptide, the relevant checks are concentration, purity and sterility of the solution rather than HPLC peptide mapping.
Ordering from Great Falls
MontanaPep, also known as Montana Peptides, is an independently owned supplier based at 715 13th Ave S, Great Falls, Montana. Local pickup is available by arrangement, and we ship to research addresses across Montana including Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Butte, Kalispell and Havre. Call (406) 799-0812 or email customerservice@montanapep.com.