Bioavailability and Bioactivity of Red Wine Melatonin in Humans

Melatonin (MLT) is a bioactive compound in red wine. No information is currently available on serum and salivary concentrations of MLT after drinking a glass of red wine, containing this indoleamine. Hence, in this study, the investigators will investigate the levels of MLT, in serum and saliva, soon after the intake of the MLT-rich red wine, and, correspondingly, they will verify the antioxidant power of the same biological fluids.

This will be a randomized, crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with two treatment arms. Twelve healthy volunteers will be recruited to receive both 125 mL of red wine rich in MLT (10 ng mL-1) and without MLT (placebo), via a randomized, cross-over, and double-blind design.

Serum and salivary MLT will be measured by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA), respectively. The ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) will be also analyzed.

For serum analyses, samples will be collected at 0, 30, 60 and 90 min. For saliva analyses, samples will be collected at 0, 45 and 120 min.

Inclusion criteria

• to be healthy
• to have normal weight (BMI 18.5-25.0)
• to voluntarily accept to participate to the study.

Exclusion criteria

• pregnancy and lactation for women;
• supplementation with MLT and/or any other dietary supplement (vitamins, antioxidants, botanicals, phytochemicals)
• systemic and chronic-degenerative diseases
• abnormal hematological parameters
• heavy smoking and alcohol drinking
• high-intensity physical activity
• under pharmacological treatment