Table 2 Melatonin acts as an antioxidant in cancer models
| Cancer | Melatonin dose/concentration | Key findings | Model | Cell line/animal | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer |
1 μM 5, 10, 50 mg/kg | Limited paclitaxel-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and protected against paclitaxel-mediated neuropathic pain | In vitro, in vivo |
MCF-7 Male and female Sprague Dawley rats | [198] |
| Neuroblastoma | 10 μM | Reduced oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity | In vitro | SH-SY5Y | [199] |
| Breast cancer | 0.3 mM | Supported doxorubicin effects by apoptosis and TRPV1activation, and through mediating cancer cell death | In vitro | MCF-7 | [200] |
| Cervical cancer | 1 mM | Enhanced cisplatin-mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis | In vitro | HeLa | [163] |
| Lung cancer | 1 nm, 1 μm, 1 mm | Exerted immunomodulatory effects | In vitro | SK‐LU‐1 | [201] |
| Pancreatic cancer | 26.8 mg | capecitabine and melatonin provided an amelioration in antioxidant status and synergistic antitumoral effects | In vivo | Male Syrian hamsters | [202] |
| Leukemia | 1 mM | Protected healthy cells from chemotherapy-mediated ROS production and induced tumor cell death | In vitro | HL-60 | [180] |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 1, 100 μM | The responses of angiogenic chemokine genes to melatonin were determined by the characteristics of cancer cells | In vitro | HCC24/KMUH, | [203] |
| Pancreatic cancer | 53.76 mg | Exerted more potent beneficial effects than celecoxib on the decrease in tumor nodules, oxidative stress and death | In vivo | Male Syrian hamsters | [204] |
| Breast cancer | 2.5 mg/kg | Antioxidant effects | In vivo | Female Sprague Dawley rats | [205] |
| Pancreatic cancer | 26.88, 53.76 mg | Decreased oxidative damage and cancer nodules mediated by BOP in the pancreas | In vivo | Male Syrian hamsters | [206] |
| Cervical cancer | 10–1000 μM | This study showed melatonin effects on radiotherapy is dose-dependent | In vitro | HeLa | [207] |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 20 mg/kg | Fostered the survival and therapeutic potential of MSCs in HCC, by inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation as well as apoptosis induction | In vivo | Adult female rats | [120] |
| Cervical cancer | 10 μM | Enhanced TNF-α-mediated cervical cancer cells mitochondrial apoptosis | In vitro | HeLa | [14] |
| Bladder cancer |
1 mM 100 mg/kg | Inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of cancer cells | In vivo, in vitro |
HT1197, HT1376, T24, RT4 Male C57B/L6 mice | [208] |
| Lung cancer | 0.25–2.5 mM | Enhanced palladium-nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis | In vitro | A549, H1299 | [209] |
| Lymphoma, cervical cancer, hepatoblastoma, gastric cancer, breast, colon and lung adenocarcinoma, | 0–2 mM | Sensitizees shikonin-mediated cancer cell death induced by oxidative stress | In vitro | U937, HeLa, Hep-G2, AGS, MCF-7, SW480, A549 | [210] |