Abstract
MELATONIN (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has been shown to be the most effective skin-lightening agent in amphibians1,2. This compound produces changes in pigmentation by causing the aggregation of melanin granules within the amphibian melanocyte. Although melatonin has been found to occur in mammals, no evidence for its formation has been obtained in amphibians where it exerts its most potent effects. High concentrations of radioactivity have been observed in the pineal area of the amphibian Xenopus laevis after the administration of the melatonin precursors 14C-5-hydroxytryptamine and 14C-methylmethionine3.
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AXELROD, J., QUAY, W. & BAKER, P. Enzymatic Synthesis of the Skin-lightening Agent, Melatonin, in Amphibians. Nature 208, 386 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/208386a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/208386a0
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