The Influence of Melatonin on Cell Viability and ROS Reduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Under Oxidative Stress

Overview

Melatonin is a naturally occurring molecule found in many organisms that helps protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although its protective effects have been well documented in wild-type yeast, less is known about how melatonin functions in strains that are more sensitive to oxidative stress. Qualitative data from a growth assay were used to identify the most effective concentration of melatonin for protecting cells. Yeast cultures were treated with this concentration (75 μM) for one hour prior to exposure to 3 mM hydrogen peroxide. In wild-type yeast, melatonin increased survival from 82% to 91% and reduced ROS levels, while in the ade1/ade2 mutant, survival increased from 72% to 83% with a corresponding decrease in ROS levels. These results demonstrate that melatonin enhances cell survival and reduces intracellular oxidative stress in both normal and metabolically compromised yeast strains. The findings highlight melatonin’s potential as a protective agent in systems prone to cellular damage and may provide a foundation for exploring its role in more complex organisms.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Microbiology (Senior Division) · Entry S-16-13

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.

Browse more like this

• All Microbiology projects
• CSEF Microbiology projects
• Every CSEF 2026 project