Application of Pharmacological Treatment: Melatonin’s Effects On Daphnia At Different Concentrations

Overview

Nowadays, many people face sleep disorder and start using both medical and artificial substances, typically Melatonin, to approach deeper and better sleep. Besides bringing better sleep, Melatonin could also bring damage to different body systems and changes daily behaviors. Research from the Ecological Society of America showed that increasing Melatonin would slow down the passage of food through the intestine and reduce the amount of spores present in its gut. This research suggests different effects Melatonin could have on human body through its interaction with Daphnia, a small transparent crustacean commonly used in experiments. Daphnia were grown in different tanks, each containing a specific concentration of Melatonin presented in the living environment (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%), with the percentage of environmental concentration determined by body mass-based concentration. Within 10 days, changes in Daphnia will be observed by eye and under the microscope. The results show that increasing Melatonin concentration will result in a decrease in heart rate, a distorted body shape, and the most severely damaged parts were the digestive system, as evidenced by a phenomenon of gut epithelial disruption (internal organ decomposition). Melatonin stimulates reproduction, proven by the increasing number of offspring and eggs. However, the death rate also rises along with the birth rate, causing the population in the 0% and 25% ranges to remain stable, while the 50% range changes continuously. In 75%, the birth rate is almost zero, while the death rate reaches its maximum, and only 2 survived after 10 days.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Zoology (Senior Division) · Entry S-20-05

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