Phytomelatonin: Discovery, Content, and Role in Plants

Table 2

Data on the presence and content of melatonin in wild higher plants.

Family	Common name	Specie name	Melatonin content; (pg/g FW tissue*)	Reference
Adoxaceae	Laurestine	Viburnum tinus L.	633 L	[113]
Amaranthaceae	Red goosefoot	Chenopodium rubrum L.	240 S	[80]
Anacardiaceae	Pistachio; Cyprus turpentine	Pistacia lentiscus L.; Pistacia palaestina Boiss.	581 L; 536 F; 498 L	[113]; [113]
Arecaceae	Date palm	Phoenix dactylifera L.	469 L	[113]
Asparagaceae	Wild asparagus; Jew's myrtle	Asparagus horridus L.; Ruscus aculeatus L.	142 L; 954 L	[113]; [113]
Asteraceae	Feverfew; Yarrow	Tanacetum parthenium L.; Achillea millefolium L.	1,3–1,7 (µg/g) L; 340,000 L + S	[114]; [115]
Brassicaceae	Thale cress	Arabidopsis thaliana L.; “	480,000 L; 4,400 Se	[49]
Caprifoliaceae	Honeysuckle	Lonicera etrusca Santi	521 L	[113]
Convolvulaceae	Ivy morning glory	Ipomoea nil L.	6 S	[52]
Ephedraceae	Joint fir	Ephedra campylopoda L.	178 L	[113]
Fabaceae	Chinese liquorice; White lupin; “; “	Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.; Lupinus albus L.; “; “	250 L; 34 (µg/g) R; 8,000–55,000 R; 10–75,000 L; 3,830 Se	[94]; [87]; [87]; [44]
Hypericaceae	St. John’s wort; “	Hypericum perforatum L.; “	1,8–23 (µg/g) L; 1,7 (µg/g) Fl	[116]
Lamiaceae	Sage	Salvia officinalis L.	280–400 L	[110]
Lauraceae	Laurel	Laurus nobilis L.	8,331 L; 3,710 F	[113]
Meliaceae	White cedar	Melia azedarach L.	1,579 L; 585 F	[113]
Moraceae	Common fig; Mulberries; “	Ficus carica L.; Morus spp. L.; “	12,915 L; 3,959 F; 990 L; 1,000–33,000 L	[113]; [113]; [117]
Myrtaceae	Pineapple guava; True myrtle	Feijoa sellowiana O.Berg Myrtus communis L.; Myrtus spp.	1,529 L; 291 L; 490 L	[113]; [113]; [113]
Oleaceae	Olive; Mock privet	Olea europaea L.; Phillyrea latifolia	4,306 L; 532 F; 6,337 L; 589 F	[113]; [113]
Poaceae	Rice plant; “; Barley plant; Canary grass; Wheat plant; Oat plant	Oryza sativa L.; “; Hordeum vulgare L.; Phalaris canariensis L.; Triticum aestivum L.; Avena sativa L.	100 L; 500 S; 200 R; 400 Fl; 500–12,000 R; 82,300 S; 26,700 S; 124,700 S; 90,600 S	[70]; [118]; [64, 86]; [64]; [64]; [64]
Pontederiaceae	Water hyacinth	Eicchornia crassipes Marth.	2,900–48,000 L	[82]
Portulacaceae	Purslane	Portulaca oleracea L.	19,000 L	[119]
Resedaceae	Arabic desert shrub	Ochradenus baccatus Del.	474 L	[113]
Rhamnaceae	Mediterranean buckthorn; “; Christ's thorn jujube	Rhamnus alaternus L.; Rhamnus palaestina Boiss. Ziziphus spina-christi L.	584 L; 306 F; 1,167 L; 907 F; 1,324 L	[113]; [113]; [113]
Rosaceae	Mediterranean-medlar; “; Shrubby blackberry	Crataegus azarolus L.; Crataegus aronia L.; Rubus fruticosus Hegetschw.	435 L; 341 L; 805 L	[113]; [113]; [113]
Rubiaceae	Narrow-leaved madder	Rubia tenuifolia D’Urv.	905 L	[113]
Santalaceae	Osyris	Osyris alba L.	844 L	[113]
Smilacaceae	Sarsaparilla	Smilax aspera L.	443 L	[113]
Solanaceae	Silverleaf nightshade; Black nightshade; Tomato plant; “; “; Tobacco; Devil’s trumpet	Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. Solanum nigrum L.; Solanum lycopersicum L.; “; “; Nicotiana tabacum L.; Datura metel L.	7,895 F; 323 F; 15,000–142,000 L; 1,400–33,100 S; 7,100–10,200 R; 50 L; 1,500 F; 15,000 Fl	[113]; [113]; [95]; [95]; [95]; [32]; [120]
Styracaceae	Drug snowbell	Styrax officinalis L.	4,069 L	[113]
Verbenaceae	Common lantana	Lantana camara L.	389 L	[113]

∗L: leaves; F: fruits; S: shoots; R: roots; Fl: flowers; Se: seeds.