The role of melatonin as an antioxidant in the follicle.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic, preclinical, and preliminary clinical studies
PubMed 22277103 · doi:10.1186/1757-2215-5-5
What was done
This review synthesizes findings from in vitro, animal in vivo, and early clinical research examining the antioxidant role of melatonin in preovulatory follicular fluid, specifically regarding its ability to reduce reactive oxygen species during ovulation and support oocyte maturation and embryo development.
What was found
No quantitative findings or numerical data are reported in the abstract. The authors report that melatonin concentrations are higher in human preovulatory follicular fluid than in serum, and that melatonin administration reduces intrafollicular oxidative damage, aids oocyte maturation and embryonic development in animals, and improves fertilization rates in infertile women.
Why it matters
It outlines the biological mechanism for how melatonin acts as an intrafollicular antioxidant and provides the rationale for exploring melatonin supplementation to improve reproductive outcomes in assisted reproduction.
Limits
This is a narrative review with no systematic search methodology or risk-of-bias assessment. The abstract reports no sample sizes, dosages, specific comparator groups, or numerical effect sizes for the clinical claims.
Cited by
- supports The female body naturally increases melatonin production during ovulation to mitigate oxidative stress to the ovary.