Abstract
Over the last few years, an increasing interest in the scientific research of natural antioxidant molecules from plants capable to attenuate, or even prevent, stress oxidative-related disorders, such as diabetes, inflammatory, and neurological pathologies has been observed. Serotonin and melatonin are two of these molecules, being widely found in Mediterranean foodstuffs, fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. The consumption of foods containing both antioxidants can raise their physiologic concentrations in blood and, consequently, enhance antioxidant defenses, improve mood, and treat sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety. Currently, there exist several analytical methods suitable for the determination of melatonin and serotonin in fruits and edible plants. Among them, the most used include chromatographic techniques and immunological assays. This work aims to present a comprehensive overview of the biosynthesis of these indolamines in nature, the most common techniques used to detect and quantify both compounds in fruits, vegetables, medicinal herbs, and other food sources, as well as to address their health benefits, particularly their antioxidant, neuroprotective, and sleep-promoting effects.
Graphical Abstract
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adão RC, Glória MBA (2005) Bioactive amines and carbohydrate changes during ripening of “Prata” banana (Musa acuminata x M. balbisiana). Food Chem 90:705–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.05.020
Afreen F, Zobayed SMA, Kozai T (2006) Melatonin in Glycyrrhiza uralensis: response of plant roots to spectral quality of light and UV-B radiation. J Pineal Res 41:108–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2006.00337.x
Aguilera Y, Herrera T, Benítez V, Arribas SM, López de Pablo AL, Esteban RM, Martín-Cabrejas MA (2015) Estimation of scavenging capacity of melatonin and other antioxidants: contribution and evaluation in germinated seeds. Food Chem 170:203–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.08.071
Amireault P, Bayard E, Launay JM, Sibon D, Le Van Kim C, Colin Y, Dy M, Hermine O, Côté F (2013) Serotonin is a key factor for mouse red blood cell survival. PLoS One 8:e83010. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083010
Anisimov VN, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA, Anisimov SV, Vesnushkin GM, Vinogradova IA (2006) Melatonin as antioxidant, geroprotector and anticarcinogen. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg 1757:573–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbabio.2006.03.012
Arnao MB, Hernández-Ruiz J (2006) The physiological function of melatonin in plants. Plant Signal Behav 1:89–95. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.1.3.2640
Arnao MB, Hernández-Ruiz J (2015) Functions of melatonin in plants: a review. J Pineal Res 59:133–150. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12253
Badria FA (2002) Melatonin, serotonin, and tryptamine in some egyptian food and medicinal plants. J Med Food 5:153–157. https://doi.org/10.1089/10966200260398189
Bangha E, Elsner P, Kistler GS (1997) Suppression of UV-induced erythema by topical treatment with melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine). Dermatology 195:248–252
Bowden K, Brown BG, Batty JE (1954) 5-Hydroxytryptamine: its occurrence in cowhage. Nature 174:925–926
Bravo R, Matito S, Cubero J, Paredes SD, Franco L, Rivero M, Rodriguez AB, Barriga C (2013) Tryptophan-enriched cereal intake improves nocturnal sleep, melatonin, serotonin, and total antioxidant capacity levels and mood in elderly humans. Age (Dordr) 35:1277–1285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-012-9419-5
Burkhardt S, Tan DX, Manchester LC, Hardeland R, Reiter RJ (2001) Detection and quantification of the antioxidant melatonin in Montmorency and Balaton tart cherries (Prunus cerasus). J Agric Food Chem 49:4898–4902. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf010321+
Çalişkan UK, Aka C, Bor E (2017) Melatonin in edible and non-edible plants. Turk J Pharm Sci 14:75–83. https://doi.org/10.4274/tjps.33043
Campmajó G, Núñez N, Núñez O (2019) The role of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in food integrity and authenticity. In: Ganesh Shamrao Kamble (ed) Mass Spectrometry - Future Perceptions and Applications. IntechOpen, Rijeka
Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, Ben M, Laviano A, Muscaritoli M, Antonucci F, Rossi-Fanelli F (1992) Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5-hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr 56:863–867
Cao J, Murch SJ, O’Brien R, Saxena PK (2006) Rapid method for accurate analysis of melatonin, serotonin and auxin in plant samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1134:333–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2006.09.079
Chen G, Huo Y, Tan DX, Liang Z, Zhang W, Zhang Y (2003) Melatonin in Chinese medicinal herbs. Life Sci 73:19–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3205(03)00252-2
Cho SY, Lee HJ, Jeong SJ, Lee HJ, Kim HS, Chen CY, Lee EO, Kim SH (2011) Sphingosine kinase 1 pathway is involved in melatonin-induced HIF-1α inactivation in hypoxic PC-3 prostate cancer cells. J Pineal Res 51:87–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00865.x
Colares JR, Schemitt EG, Hartmann RM, Licks F, Couto Soares M, Bosco A, Marroni NP (2016) Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of melatonin in an experimental model of secondary biliary cirrhosis induced by bile duct ligation. World J Gastroenterol 22:8918–8928. https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v22.i40.8918
Dubbels R, Reiter RJ, Klenke E, Goebel A, Schnakenberg E, Ehlers C, Schiwara HW, Schloot W (1995) Melatonin in edible plants identified by radioimmunoassay and by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Pineal Res 18:28–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.1995.tb00136.x
Engström K, Lundgren L, Samuelsson G (1992) Bioassay-guided isolation of serotonin from fruits of Solanum tuberosum L. Acta Pharm Nord 4:91–92
Erland LAE, Chattopadhyay A, Jones AMP, Saxena PK (2016) Melatonin in plants and plant culture systems: variability, stability and efficient quantification. Front Plant Sci 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01721
Favero G, Rodella LF, Reiter RJ, Rezzani R (2014) Melatonin and its atheroprotective effects: a review. Mol Cell Endocrinol 382:926–937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2013.11.016
Feng X, Wang M, Zhao Y, Han P, Dai Y (2014) Melatonin from different fruit sources, functional roles, and analytical methods. Trends Food Sci Technol 37:21–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2014.02.001
Fischer TW, Zbytek B, Sayre RM, Apostolov EO, Basnakian AG, Sweatman TW, Wortsman J, Elsner P, Slominski A (2006) Melatonin increases survival of HaCaT keratinocytes by suppressing UV-induced apoptosis. J Pineal Res 40:18–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2005.00273.x
Fuhrberg B, Balzer I, Hardeland R, Werner A, Lüning K (1996) The vertebrate pineal hormone melatonin is produced by the brown alga Pterygophora californica and mimics dark effects on growth rate in the light. Planta 200:125–131
Gamelin FX, Baquet G, Berthoin S, Thevenet D, Nourry C, Nottin S, Bosquet L (2009) Effect of high intensity intermittent training on heart rate variability in prepubescent children. Eur J Appl Physiol 105:731–738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0955-8
Garcia-Parrilla MC, Cantos E, Troncoso AM (2009) Analysis of melatonin in foods. J Food Compos Anal 22:177–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2008.09.009
Garrido M, Espino J, González-Gómez D, Lozano M, Cubero J, Toribio-Delgado AF, Maynar-Mariño JI, Terrón MP, Muñoz JL, Pariente JA, Barriga C, Paredes SD, Rodríguez AB (2009) A nutraceutical product based on Jerte Valley cherries improves sleep and augments the antioxidant status in humans. e-SPEN 4:321–323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclnm.2009.09.003
Garrido M, Paredes SD, Cubero J, Lozano M, Toribio-Delgado AF, Muñoz JL, Reiter RJ, Barriga C, Rodríguez AB (2010) Jerte valley cherry-enriched diets improve nocturnal rest and increase 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and total antioxidant capacity in the urine of middle-aged and elderly humans. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 65A:909–914. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glq099
Gomez FJV, Raba J, Cerutti S, Silva MF (2012) Monitoring melatonin and its isomer in Vitis vinifera cv. Malbec by UHPLC-MS/MS from grape to bottle. J Pineal Res 52:349–355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00949.x
González-Gómez D, Lozan M, Fernández-León MF, Ayuso MC, Bernalte MJ, Rodríguez AB (2009) Detection and quantification of melatonin and serotonin in eight sweet cherry cultivars (Prunus avium L.). Eur Food Res Technol 229:223–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-009-1042-z
González-Gómez D, Lozano M, Fernández-León MF, Bernalte MJ, Ayuso MC, Rodríguez AB (2010) Sweet cherry phytochemicals: identification and characterization by HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS in six sweet-cherry cultivars grown in Valle del Jerte (Spain). J Food Compos Anal 23:533–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2009.02.008
Grobe W (1982) Function of serotonin in seeds of walnuts. Phytochemistry 21:819–822. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(82)80071-X
Gülçin I (2008) Measurement of antioxidant ability of melatonin and serotonin by the DMPD and CUPRAC methods as trolox equivalent. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 23:871–876. https://doi.org/10.1080/14756360701626223
Gülçin I, Buyukokuroglu ME, Oktay M, Kufrevioglu OI (2002) On the in vitro antioxidative properties of melatonin. J Pineal Res 33:167–171
Gulcin I, Buyukokuroglu ME, Kufrevioglu OI (2003) Metal chelating and hydrogen peroxide scavenging effects of melatonin. J Pineal Res 34:278–281
Hattori A, Migitaka H, Iigo M, Itoh M, Yamamoto K, Ohtani-Kaneko R, Hara M, Suzuki T, Reiter RJ (1995) Identification of melatonin in plants and its effects on plasma melatonin levels and binding to melatonin receptors in vertebrates. Biochem Mol Biol Int 35:627–634
Hernández-Ruiz J, Arnao MB (2008a) Melatonin stimulates the expansion of etiolated lupin cotyledons. Plant Growth Regul 55:29–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-008-9254-y
Hernández-Ruiz J, Arnao MB (2008b) Distribution of melatonin in different zones of lupin and barley plants at different ages in the presence and absence of light. J Agric Food Chem 56:10567–10573. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf8022063
Hernández-Ruiz J, Cano A, Arnao MB (2004) Melatonin: a growth-stimulating compound present in lupin tissues. Planta 220:140–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1317-3
Hernández-Ruiz J, Cano A, Arnao MB (2005) Melatonin acts as a growth-stimulating compound in some monocot species. J Pineal Res 39:137–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2005.00226.x
Hosseinian FS, Li W, Beta T (2008) Measurement of anthocyanins and other phytochemicals in purple wheat. Food Chem 109:916–924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.083
Huang X, Mazza G (2011a) Application of LC and LC-MS to the analysis of melatonin and serotonin in edible plants. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 51:269–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2010.529193
Huang X, Mazza G (2011b) Simultaneous analysis of serotonin, melatonin, piceid and resveratrol in fruits using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1218:3890–3899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2011.04.049
Iriti M, Faoro F (2006) Grape phytochemicals: a bouquet of old and new nutraceuticals for human health. Med Hypotheses 67:833–838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2006.03.049
Johns NP, Porasuphatana S, Plaimee P, Sae-Teaw M (2013) Dietary intake of melatonin from tropical fruit altered urinary excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in healthy volunteers. J Agric Food Chem 61:913–919
Kalogiannis M, Delikatny EJ, Jeitner TM (2016) Serotonin as a putative scavenger of hypohalous acid in the brain. Biochim Biophys Acta 1862:651–661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2015.12.012
Kang S, Back K (2006) Enriched production of N-hydroxycinnamic acid amides and biogenic amines in pepper (Capsicum annuum) flowers. Sci Hortic 108:337–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2006.01.037
Kang S, Kang K, Lee K, Back K (2007) Characterization of tryptamine 5-hydroxylase and serotonin synthesis in rice plants. Plant Cell Rep 26:2009–2015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-007-0405-9
Kimura M (1968) Fluorescence histochemical study on serotonin and catecholamine in some plants. Jpn J Pharmarcol 18:162–168
Kirakosyan A, Seymour EM, Llanes DEU, Kaufman PB, Bolling SF (2009) Chemical profile and antioxidant capacities of tart cherry products. Food Chem 115:20–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.11.042
Kitagawa A, Ohta Y, Ohashi K (2012) Melatonin improves metabolic syndrome induced by high fructose intake in rats. J Pineal Res 52:403–413. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00955.x
Kleszczynski K, Fischer TW (2012) Melatonin and human skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol 4:245–252. https://doi.org/10.4161/derm.22344
Kocadaǧli T, Yilmaz C, Gökmen V (2014) Determination of melatonin and its isomer in foods by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Food Chem 153:151–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.036
Kubera M, Maes M, Kenis G, Kim YK, Lasoń W (2005) Effects of serotonin and serotonergic agonists and antagonists on the production of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-10. Psychiatry Res 134:251–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2004.01.014
Lavizzari T, Veciana-Nogués MT, Bover-Cid S, Mariné-Font A, Vidal-Carou MC (2006) Improved method for the determination of biogenic amines and polyamines in vegetable products by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr A 1129:67–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2006.06.090
Lemoine P, Nir T, Laudon M, Zisapel N (2007) Prolonged-release melatonin improves sleep quality and morning alertness in insomnia patients aged 55 years and older and has no withdrawal effects. J Sleep Res 16:372–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2007.00613.x
Lerner AB (1960) Hormonal control of pigmentation. Annu Rev Med 11:187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374144-8.00231-9
Lissoni P, Meregalli S, Nosetto L, Barni S, Tancini G, Fossati V, Maestroni G (1996) Increased survival time in brain glioblastomas by a radioneuroendocrine strategy with radiotherapy plus melatonin compared to radiotherapy alone. Oncology 53:43–46
Lissoni P, Mandalà M, Brivio F (2000) Abrogation of the negative influence of opioids on cell cancer by melatonin. Eur Urol 38:115–118
Lu J, Lau C, Lee MK, Kai M (2002) Simple and convenient chemiluminescence method for the determination of melatonin. Anal Chim Acta 455:193–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(01)01603-8
Maldonado MD, Moreno H, Calvo JR (2009) Melatonin present in beer contributes to increase the levels of melatonin and antioxidant capacity of the human serum. Clin Nutr 28:188–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2009.02.001
Manchester LC, Tan DX, Reiter RJ, Park W, Monis K, Qi W (2000) High levels of melatonin in the seeds of edible plants. Life Sci 67:3023–3029. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0024-3205(00)00896-1
Mercolini L, Mandrioli R, Raggi MA (2012) Content of melatonin and other antioxidants in grape-related foodstuffs: measurement using a MEPS-HPLC-F method. J Pineal Res 53:21–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00967.x
Mills E, Wu P, Seely D, Guyatt G (2005) Melatonin in the treatment of cancer: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis. J Pineal Res 39:360–366. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2005.00258.x
Mohammad-Zadeh LF, Moses L, Gwaltney-Brant SM (2008) Serotonin: a review. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 31:187–199. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2885.2008.00944.x.REVIEW
Moussaoui NE, Bendriss A (2015) Analysis of melatonin by high performance liquid chromatography after Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE/ HPLC-FD). Int J Eng Res Technol 4:988–993
Muñoz-Castañeda JR, Montilla P, Padillo FJ, Bujalance I, Muñoz MC, Muntané J, Túnez I (2006) Role of serotonin in cerebral oxidative stress in rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 66:1–6
Murch SJ, Krishnaraj S, Saxena PK (2000) Tryptophan is a precursor for melatonin and serotonin biosynthesis in in vitro regenerated St. John’s wort (Hypericumperforatum L. cv. Anthos) plants. Plant Cell Rep 19:698–704
Muszyńska B, Sułkowska-Ziaja K, Ekiert H (2013) Analysis of indole compounds in methanolic extracts from the fruiting bodies of Cantharellus cibarius (the Chanterelle) and from the mycelium of this species cultured in vitro. J Food Sci Technol 50:1233–1237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-013-1009-8
Nawaz MA, Huang Y, Bie Z, Ahmed W, Reiter RJ, Niu M, Hameed S (2015) Melatonin: current status and future perspectives in plant science. Front Plant Sci 6:1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.01230
Oladi E, Mohamadi M, Shamspur T, Mostafavi A (2014) Spectrofluorimetric determination of melatonin in kernels of four different Pistacia varieties after ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid extraction. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 132:326–329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2014.05.010
Özen İT, Ekşi A (2016) Melatonin and serotonin content of the main sour cherry varieties and commercially produced sour cherry concentrates. Eur Int J Sci Technol 5:57–64
Pape C, Lüning K (2006) Quantification of melatonin in phototrophic organisms. J Pineal Res 41:157–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2006.00348.x
Paredes SD, Korkmaz A, Manchester LC, Tan DX, Reiter RJ (2009) Phytomelatonin: a review. J Exp Bot 60:57–69. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ern284
Pelagio-Flores R, Ortíz-Castro R, Méndez-Bravo A, Macías-Rodríguez L, López-Bucio J (2011) Serotonin, a tryptophan-derived signal conserved in plants and animals, regulates root system architecture probably acting as a natural auxin inhibitor in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell Physiol 52:490–508. https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcr006
Ramakrishna A, Giridhar P, Ravishankar GA (2011) Phytoserotonin: a review. Plant Signal Behav 6:800–809. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.6.6.15242
Ramakrishna A, Giridhar P, Sankar KU, Ravishankar GA (2012) Endogenous profiles of indoleamines: serotonin and melatonin in different tissues of Coffea canephora P ex Fr. as analyzed by HPLC and LC-MS-ESI. Acta Physiol Plant 34:393–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-011-0829-2
Rayne S (2010) Concentrations and profiles of melatonin and serotonin in fruits and vegetables during ripening: a mini-review. Nat Prec https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2010.4722
Reiter RJ, Manchester LC, Tan DX (2005) Melatonin in walnuts: influence on levels of melatonin and total antioxidant capacity of blood. Nutrition 21:920–924. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2005.02.005
Reiter R, Tan D, Manchester L, Simopoulos A, Maldonado M, Flores L, Terron M (2007) Melatonin in edible plants (phytomelatonin): identification, concentrations, bioavailability and proposed functions. World Rev Nutr Diet 97:211–230. https://doi.org/10.1159/000097917
Rosado T, Henriques I, Gallardo E, Duarte AP (2017) Determination of melatonin levels in different cherry cultivars by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrochemical detection. Eur Food Res Technol 243:1749–1757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-017-2880-8
Sae-Teaw M, Johns J, Johns NP, Subongkot S (2013) Serum melatonin levels and antioxidant capacities after consumption of pineapple, orange, or banana by healthy male volunteers. J Pineal Res 55:58–64. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12025
Setyaningsih W, Palma M, Barroso CG (2012) A new microwave-assisted extraction method for melatonin determination in rice grains. J Cereal Sci 56:340–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2012.02.012
Sofic E, Rimpapa Z, Kundurovic Z, Sapcanin A, Tahirovic I, Rustembegovic A, Cao G (2005) Antioxidant capacity of the neurohormone melatonin. J Neural Transm 112:349–358. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-004-0270-4
Stege PW, Sombra LL, Messina G, Martinez LD, Silva MF (2010) Determination of melatonin in wine and plant extracts by capillary electrochromatography with immobilized carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes as stationary phase. Electrophoresis 31:2242–2248. https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.200900782
Swartz M (2010) HPLC detectors: a brief review. J Liq Chromatogr Relat Technol 33:1130–1150. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826076.2010.484356
Tahan G, Gramignoli R, Marongiu F, Aktolga S, Cetinkaya A, Tahan V, Dorko K (2011) Melatonin expresses powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities resulting in complete improvement of acetic-acid-induced colitis in rats. Dig Dis Sci 56:715–720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-010-1364-5
Tan DX, Manchester LC, Helton P, Reiter RJ (2007) Phytoremediative capacity of plants enriched with melatonin. Plant Signal Behav 2:514–516. https://doi.org/10.4161/psb.2.6.4639
Tang YQ, Li ZR, Zhang SZ, Mi P, Chen DY, Feng XZ (2019) Venlafaxine plus melatonin ameliorate reserpine-induced depression-like behavior in zebrafish. Neurotoxicol Teratol 76:106835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2019.106835
Udenfriend S, Lovenberg W, Sjoerdsma A (1959) Physiologically active amines in common fruits and vegetables. Arch Biochem Biophys 85:487–490
Van Tassel DL, O’Neill SD (2001) Putative regulatory molecules in plants: evaluating melatonin. J Pineal Res 31:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-079X.2001.310101.x
Vitalini S, Gardana C, Zanzotto A, Fico G, Faoro F, Simonetti P, Iriti M (2011) From vineyard to glass: agrochemicals enhance the melatonin and total polyphenol contents and antiradical activity of red wines. J Pineal Res 51:278–285. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2011.00887.x
Wang H, Nair MG, Iezzoni AF, Strasburg GM, Booren AM, Gray JI (1997) Quantification and characterization of anthocyanins in Balaton tart cherries. J Agric Food Chem 45:2556–2560. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf960896k
Whitaker-Azmitia PM (1999) The discovery of serotonin and its role in neuroscience. Neuropsychopharmacology 21:2S–8S
Ye T, Hao YH, Yu L, Shi H, Reiter RJ, Feng YQ (2017) A simple, rapid method for determination of melatonin in plant tissues by UPLC coupled with high resolution orbitrap mass spectrometry. Front Plant Sci 8:1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00064
Yu Y, Lv Y, Shi Y, Li T, Chen Y, Zhao D, Zhao Z (2018) The role of phyto-melatonin and related metabolites in response to stress. Molecules 23:1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23081887
Acknowledgements
LR Silva (SFRH/BPD/105263/2014) was supported by postdoc grants from Foundation for Science and Technology. Ana Carolina Gonçalves was supported by the Research and Development Business Project (Project CENTRO-01-0247-FEDER-017547), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program of the Center (Portugal 2020), and by Foundation for Science and Technology (2020.04947.BD). Ana R. Nunes was supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/139137/2018).
Funding
This work is supported by FEDER funds through the POCI - COMPETE 2020, Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalisation in Axis I, Strengthening research, technological development and innovation (Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007491), Operational Program of the Center (Project CENTRO-01-0247-FEDER-017547), and National Funds by Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal (Project UID/Multi/00709/2013).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
ACG researched prior studies, interpreted the results, and drafted the manuscript. ARN, GA, and LR contributed to the critical reading of the manuscript and performed the final revision of the same. All the authors have read the final manuscript and approved the submission.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Supplementary Information
ESM 1
(PDF 183 kb).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonçalves, A.C., Nunes, A.R., Alves, G. et al. Serotonin and Melatonin: Plant Sources, Analytical Methods, and Human Health Benefits. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 31, 162–175 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-021-00141-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-021-00141-w