Melatonin as a microenvironmental cue for parasite development inside the host

Abstract

Throughout the evolutionary process, parasites have
 acquired characteristics that function as survival mechanisms. It has been
 reported that melatonin, a molecule present in virtually all living organisms,
 has several roles in parasite biology such as preventing tissue damage,
 regulating gene expression and inflammatory processes, and acting as a free
 radical scavenger. Additionally,
 melatonin produced by the hosts accelerates the intra-erythrocytic cycle of the
 human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the rodent malaria
 parasite P. chabaudi, respectively. These findings have recently led to
 an increased research enthusiasm to find how melatonin influences the
 biological cycle of parasites. Therefore, this review aims to gather and
 analyze the potential relationships of host produced melatonin with the
 parasites Plasmodium sp., Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania
 spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Schistosoma mansoni, Opisthorchis viverrini, and Entamoeba
 histolytica, respectively.