Benefits of Melatonin in Irritable Bowel Patients

Mozaffari S, Rahimi R, Abdollahi M. Implications of melatonin therapy in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 16(33):3646-55, 2010.

Eight clinical trials were reviewed for effectiveness and disturbance of melatonin in IBS and other GI disorders. The results showed disturbances in melatonin concentration in patients with IBS and significant benefits of melatonin in these patients by decreasing abdominal pain and improvement of overall IBS symptom scores. The results of seventeen non-clinical studies showed anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and motility regulatory effects of melatonin on the GI tract. Melatonin is a target of interest in IBS because of its potentials to regulate GI motility.