Plants
Melatonin has been identified in many plants including Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), and St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). The physiological roles of melatonin in plants involve regulation of their response to photoperiod, defense against harsh environments, and the function of an antioxidant. The latter may be the original function of melatonin in organisms with the others being added during evolution. Melatonin also regulates plant growth by its ability to slow root formation, while promoting above ground growth.
Melatonin has been reported in foodstuffs including cherries to about 0.17-13.46 ng/g, bananas and grapes, rice and cereals, herbs, olive oil, wine and beer.
When bird chicks ingest melatonin-rich plant feed, such as rice, the melatonin binds to melatonin receptors in their brains. No food has been found to elevate plasma melatonin levels in humans.
Read more about this topic: Melatonin
Famous quotes containing the word plants:
“All plants move, but they don’t usually pull themselves out of the ground and chase you.”
—Philip Yordan (b. 1913)
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 3:7-9.
“Probably if our lives were more conformed to nature, we should not need to defend ourselves against her heats and colds, but find her our constant nurse and friend, as do plants and quadrupeds.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)