NSTK · 01.2026Independent supplement reference
NutriStack
Edition 1.0Updated August 1, 2026

Supplement × Prescription·Evidence index

Melatonin and Phenobarbital: what the published research says

PubMed indexes 8 records that name Melatonin and Phenobarbital together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. Each one is listed below with its study design and, where the abstract states one, the authors’ own conclusion, quoted and linked. This page reports that literature. It does not tell you whether to combine them.

Read this first

An evidence index, not guidance.

Every statement below is attributed to a named, dated, linked source.

This page lists published research relevant to Melatonin and Phenobarbital. It deliberately does not state whether the combination is safe, whether it interacts, in which direction, at what dose, or how far apart to take them.

The research

8 studies naming Melatonin and Phenobarbital.

Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.

Antitumor Effects of Melatonin in Luminal and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells: Metabolic Reprogramming, Redox Regulation, and Cellular Dynamics.

Cancers · 2026 · PMID 42449577

“In addition, alterations in biogenic amine profiles were observed, suggesting broader metabolic remodeling. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings demonstrate that melatonin exerts subtype-dependent antitumor effects by targeting metabolic, mitochondrial, and redox pathways, supporting further investigation of melatonin as a potential therapeutic adjuvant in breast cancer, while recognizing that the concentrations used in this study exceed physiological circulating levels.”

Cesário et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Melatonin potentiates the anticonvulsant action of phenobarbital in neonatal rats.

Epilepsy research · 2013 · PMID 24206906

Research Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralAnimal study

“We found that melatonin significantly potentiated the anticonvulsant efficacy of phenobarbital, but did not exert anticonvulsant effects on its own. These data provide additional evidence for the further examination of melatonin as an adjunct therapy in neonatal/pediatric epilepsy.”

Forcelli et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Involvement of vagal nerves in the pancreatostimulatory effects of luminal melatonin, or its precursor L-tryptophan. Study in the rats.

Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society · 2007 · PMID 18212402

Animal study

“Stimulation of pancreatic protein outputs caused by melatonin or L-tryptophan was completely abolished by vagotomy, or pretreatment with lorglumide. We conclude that melatonin as well as its precursor L-tryptophan, stimulates pancreatic exocrine function via mechanisms involving enteropancreatic reflexes and CCK.”

Nawrot-Porabka et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Chemopreventive effects of melatonin on diethylnitrosamine and phenobarbital-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male F344 rats.

Nutrition and cancer · 2003 · PMID 15087267

Animal study

“In addition, the ornithine decarboxylase activity in nonneoplastic liver tissue was reduced by melatonin treatment in both the initiation and postinitiation phases. These results suggest that melatonin has an antitumor-promoting ability in DEN-initiated and PB-promoted hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.”

Rahman et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Melatonin concentrations in the luminal fluid, mucosa, and muscularis of the bovine and porcine gastrointestinal tract.

Journal of pineal research · 1999 · PMID 10102761

Animal study

“Melatonin levels in the mucosa and muscularis were higher in the rumen and reticulum than in the omasum and abomasum. The species-specific levels and a distinct distribution of melatonin in the layers of the digestive tube indicates that this indole may be involved in the modulation of gastrointestinal function of monogastric as well as polygastric ungulates, albeit in a different capacity.”

Bubenik et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Melatonin administration prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative damage in phenobarbital-treated animals.

Journal of cellular biochemistry · 1995 · PMID 7593265

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Animal study

“Additionally, LPS diminished the content of cytochrome P450 reductase with this effect being largely prevented by L-NAME administration. Melatonin did not change the content of P450 either in PB- or LPS-treated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)”

Sewerynek et al. · From the abstract

Names both Melatonin and Phenobarbital in its title.

Limitations

What this evidence cannot tell you.

Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:

NutriStack

Track what you actually take.

NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Melatonin, Phenobarbital, and several hundred other substances.

The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid, and its per-pair assessments are excluded from search until they pass claim-level review.

NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.