Melatonin, an indoleamine hormone, not only regulates circadian rhythms but also exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and metabolic regulatory properties. It has attracted significant global research attention due to its well-documented potential in cancer prevention, anti-aging effects, alleviating insomnia, and mitigating metabolic disorders. In recent years, the functional significance of intestinal melatonin has emerged as a focal point, driven by the discovery that its concentration in the gut exceeds that found in the pineal gland by at least 400-fold. In addition, melatonin has been widely studied in animal husbandry for its potential to enhance growth performance, improve reproductive outcomes, and maintain intestinal homeostasis. This review article summarizes the localization, synthesis, and biological functions of melatonin in the gut, along with the latest research advances and their application in swine production. This review is expected to serve as a reference for the potential application of melatonin as an experimental nutritional intervention in livestock production and to outline future research directions.
Peng et al. (Tue,) studied this question.