Chemical. CAS 73-31-4. Formula C13H16N2O2. MW 232.28. Melatonin is an endogeneous hormone that plays a prominent role in the control of circadian rhythm that displays anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, bone-protective, cardiovascular, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective and antipoxidant free radical scavenging properties. Melatonin functions as a glycolytic since it inhibits the Warburg effect. Melatonin may have advantages over the synthetic glycolytics since it is an endogenously synthesized molecule in every organism including in the human. Melatonin is also a mitophagy regulator. It seems to exert an essential effect on mitochondrial physiology and facilitates mitochondrial function. A central mechanism by which melatonin protects mitochondria is by restoring the MMP through blocking mPTP opening under stress and activating uncoupling proteins UCPs to marginally decrease MMP under normal conditions.