Melatonin: A Silver Bullet for Fertility and Reproductive Health

Dec 3, 2025Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)

Melatonin may improve fertility and reproductive health.

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Melatonin may enhance reproductive health by improving testosterone synthesis and sperm quality.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland during darkness that regulates various physiological processes.
It could improve reproductive health by aiding in testosterone production, gametogenesis, and sperm quality and motility.
Melatonin may increase fertilization rates and improve oocyte quality, potentially benefiting fertility treatments for both genders.
Its anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects may help protect reproductive cells from oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Despite potential benefits, the use of melatonin in reproductive health is debated due to mixed evidence and unclear mechanisms.
Further research is needed to determine optimal dosages and duration for melatonin supplementation in infertility treatments.

AI simplified

Melatonin is multifaceted neurohormone secreted by pineal gland during darkness which is regulated by a small region present in hypothalamus i.e. Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Although melatonin primarily regulates the sleep and wake cycles, its effects are not limited to sleep. It also contributes to a number of physiological processes, including hormone regulation, metabolism, reproduction and body temperature regulation. Research has consistently highlighted the potential of melatonin to support reproductive health by enhancing testosterone synthesis, promoting gametogenesis, and improving both sperm quality and motility. Moreover, it has been found that melatonin improves fertilization rate and oocyte quality, making it a valuable adjunct in fertility treatments for both men and women. Beyond its role in reproductive function, melatonin also possesses potent anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and properties. These effects help safeguard reproductive cells from the harmful impacts of oxidative stress and DNA damage, further underscoring melatonin's importance in maintaining optimal fertility and overall reproductive health. Despite its potential benefits, melatonin utility in reproductive health remains controversial due to inconclusive evidence, unclear mechanism and scattered information. Additionally, the supplementation of dosage and duration of melatonin in infertility and reproductive health needs exploration. In this review, we have tried to summarize the findings from various clinical and pre-clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic potential of melatonin in male and female fertility and reproductive health. Aim of this review is to provide a deep knowledge on the current status of melatonin's potential therapeutic effects on reproductive health with emphasis on the molecular mechanism and future directions in melatonin's utility in reproductive health.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text (HTML) ↗

Melatonin: A Silver Bullet for Fertility and Reproductive Health

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief