- ≥99% by HPLC; lot-matched COA available
- Lot-matched certificate of analysis
- Ships next business day, tracked
Melatonin (Research Grade)
N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, research-grade vials in 10 mg and 50 mg
- FormCrystalline powder in a sealed glass vial
- Mol. weight232.28 g/mol
- Research areasCircadian rhythm and chronobiology, sleep-onset physiology, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, seasonal and reproductive biology
Supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Overview
Melatonin is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, an indoleamine produced in the pineal gland from tryptophan by way of serotonin, with the final two steps carried out by arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase and acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase. Its synthesis is gated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus and suppressed by light reaching the retina, which is why circulating concentrations rise after dark and collapse at dawn. That tight coupling to the light–dark cycle has made the molecule one of the standard reference articles in chronobiology.
This listing is the small-molecule compound itself rather than a peptide, supplied as a research-grade powder in sealed vials at 10 mg and 50 mg. Melatonin acts at two G-protein-coupled receptors, MT1 and MT2, which couple through Gi to reduce cyclic AMP, and it also binds quinone reductase 2 (historically labelled MT3). Independently of receptors, the indole ring is a direct scavenger of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, so the literature splits fairly cleanly into receptor-mediated chronobiological work and redox work.
Specifications
Identity
- CAS number
- 73-31-4
- Molecular formula
- C13H16N2O2
- Molecular weight
- 232.28 g/mol
Supply & purity
- Form
- Crystalline powder in a sealed glass vial
- Purity
- ≥99% by HPLC; lot-matched COA available
- Available sizes
- 10 mg, 50 mg
- Solubility
- Sparingly soluble in water; readily soluble in ethanol or DMSO for stock preparation
Additional detail
- Chemical name
- N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine
- Compound class
- Indoleamine; tryptophan-derived pineal hormone (small molecule, not a peptide)
- Biosynthetic origin
- Tryptophan to serotonin to N-acetylserotonin to melatonin, via AANAT and ASMT
- Molecular targets studied
- MT1 and MT2 G-protein-coupled receptors; quinone reductase 2 (MT3 site)
- Research areas
- Circadian rhythm and chronobiology, sleep-onset physiology, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, seasonal and reproductive biology
- Storage (powder)
- −20 °C, sealed, desiccated and protected from light
- Storage (in solution)
- 2–8 °C in amber or foil-wrapped vessels; aliquot frozen stocks
Questions about Melatonin (Research Grade)
Is melatonin a peptide?
No. Melatonin is a small indoleamine derived from tryptophan, with a molecular weight of about 232 g/mol — roughly a tenth the size of most research peptides. It is catalogued alongside sleep-related peptides such as DSIP because of overlapping research areas, not because of any structural relationship.
What sizes and purity are available?
Vials are supplied at 10 mg and 50 mg of research-grade powder, tested to ≥99% purity by HPLC. Each lot carries a matched certificate of analysis covering purity and identity; quote the lot number printed on the vial when requesting the document.
How is it dissolved for laboratory work?
Melatonin is only sparingly soluble in water. The usual approach is a concentrated stock in ethanol or DMSO, diluted into aqueous buffer just before use, with the final solvent concentration kept low enough not to affect the assay system. Solubility should be verified for your specific buffer.
Why does it need protection from light?
The indole ring is photolabile and degrades measurably under normal laboratory lighting, and solutions oxidise faster than the dry powder. Sealed, cold, dark storage plus amber or foil-wrapped vessels for solutions is standard practice, and light exposure should be logged if quantitative accuracy matters.
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