The Influence of Maternal Melatonin on Embryo Implantation: A Crucial Factor in Reproductive Outcomes

This review aimed to investigate the effect of melatonin on the maternal side of the implantation process. Additionally, reproductive factors involved in changing melatonin levels and vice versa, will also be discussed.

The authors collected the relevant articles published until 2024 and these are carefully selected from PubMed, Embase, Google scholar databases on the basis of related keywords.

Melatonin could improve the endometrial receptivity and has been shown to act directly on several reproductive events, including folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, and corpus luteum (CL) formation. Melatonin administration reduces oxidative stress and directly acts on its membrane receptors and melatonin thyroid hormone receptors (MT1 and MT2). Also, melatonin displays effects on the earliest phases of pregnancy and during the whole gestational period. Many studies have reported the anticancer effect of melatonin against a myriad of women cancer types. A new report by WHO revealed that around 17.5% of the adult population experience infertility, showing the urgent need to increase access to affordable, high-quality fertility care for those in need.

This study shows that melatonin is present in the ovary and the placenta and has positive effects in the maternal reproductive system.