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REVIEW article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Nutrition and Metabolism
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1444578

Melatonin in animal husbandry: functions and applications

Provisionally accepted
Ruohan Zhao Ruohan Zhao 1Yicheng Bai Yicheng Bai 1Lindong Qian Lindong Qian 2Fangxiao Yang Fangxiao Yang 2*
  • 1 Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China
  • 2 Yunnan Vocational and Technical College of Agriculture, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is an essential small molecule with diverse biological functions. It plays several key roles, including regulating the secretion of reproductive hormones and the reproductive cycle, enhancing the functionality of reproductive organs, improving the quality of sperm and eggs, and mitigating oxidative stress in the reproductive system. Melatonin effectively inhibits and scavenges excess free radicals while activating the antioxidant enzyme system and reduces the production of inflammatory factors and alleviates tissue damage caused by inflammation by regulating inflammatory pathways. Additionally, melatonin contributes to repairing the intestinal barrier and regulating the gut microbiota, thereby reducing bacterial and toxin permeation.The use of melatonin as an endogenous hormone in animal husbandry has garnered considerable attention because of its positive effects on animal production performance, reproductive outcomes, stress adaptation, disease treatment, and environmental sustainability. This review explores the characteristics and biological functions of melatonin, along with its current applications in animal production. Our findings may serve as a reference for the use of melatonin in animal farming and future developmental directions.

    Keywords: Melatonin, Reproductive performance, Antioxidation, Immune Regulation, animal application

    Received: 05 Jun 2024; Accepted: 14 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhao, Bai, Qian and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Fangxiao Yang, Yunnan Vocational and Technical College of Agriculture, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.