The roles of melatonin in Parkinson's disease: An overview

When the central nervous system loses its nerve cell functions over a period of time, symptoms and problems arise leading to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Statistical data shows that more than 5 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinson’s disease [PD], and the data is undesirably rising every year. In PD patients, structural and functional changes are shown in the brain, especially the substantia nigra region. The underlying cause that correspond to the development of PD remains unclear. Nevertheless, α-synuclein aggregation has been reported to be neuropathologically linked to PD. On the other hand, several evidences successfully demonstrate the importance and significance of mitochondrial dysfunction in PD models. Treatments available for PD are limited. Recently, as shown in some studies, the antioxidant properties and hypnotic benefits of melatonin bring remarkable contribution to the PD patients. Hence, in this article, we focus on the effect of melatonin associating with the pathology and physiology of PD.