Melatonin generated by higher plants is called phytomelatonin. In addition to the extensive physiological actions that melatonin and phytomelatonin show in animals and plants, respectively, synthetic melatonin is used as a dietary supplement and is recognized as a beneficial agent in sleep disorders such as jet lag, among others. Studies on phytomelatonin and its content in many plants have raised the question of its possible use as a natural substitute for synthetic melatonin. The beneficial actions of phytomelatonin described to date in humans and possible methods to obtain it from plants or plant cells are discussed. Also several commercial products containing phytomelatonin are analyzed along with their “pros and cons” with regard to human health. In conclusion, the possibility of using phytomelatonin instead of synthetic melatonin in many of the dietary supplements and other food and cosmetic products is a reality. It is necessary to guarantee that phytomelatonin-rich products are free of pesticides or other contaminants such as cyanotoxins. Another important step would be to carry out clinical trials to compare the physiological effects of phytomelatonin-rich products with those observed using synthetic melatonin.

高等植物产生的褪黑激素称为植物降钙素。除了褪黑素和植物降钙素分别在动植物中表现出的广泛的生理作用外，合成褪黑素还被用作膳食补充剂，被公认为是睡眠障碍（如时差）中的有益药物。对植物降钙素及其在许多植物中的含量的研究提出了可能将其用作合成褪黑素的天然替代品的问题。讨论了迄今为止描述的植物降钙素在人类中的有益作用，以及从植物或植物细胞中获取植物降钙素的可能方法。还分析了几种含有植物降钙素的商品，以及它们对人体健康的“利弊”。综上所述，在许多膳食补充剂以及其他食品和化妆品中使用植物降钙素代替合成褪黑素的可能性已成为现实。必须保证富含植物降钙素的产品不含农药或其他污染物，例如氰毒素。另一个重要步骤将是进行临床试验，以比较富含植物降钙素的产品与使用合成褪黑素观察到的产品的生理效果。