Melatonin, also known as melafenin, melanin, pineal gland, chemical name is N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, which is mainly an amine hormone produced by the pineal gland of mammals and humans.
Lerner (1959) isolated a hormone from the pineal gland for the first time, which was named Melatonin because it can make melanin-producing cells shine, and because it is derived from serotonin, it was named Melatonin. Melatonin is found in very small amounts in the body and is present at the level of pg (1x10-12g).
Melatonin can improve sleep, shorten the time of awakening before bed and the time of falling asleep, improve sleep quality, significantly reduce the number of awakenings during sleep, shorten the light sleep stage, prolong the deep sleep stage, and decrease the wake-up threshold the next morning. It has a strong function of adjusting the time difference. In recent years, extensive research has been carried out on the biological functions of melatonin, especially as a dietary supplement, and has shown that it has many physiological functions such as promoting sleep, regulating jet lag, anti-aging, regulating immunity, and anti-tumor, and is the first line of defense against oxidative stress.
Melatonin is divided into pharmaceutical grade and food grade. In 2015, pharmaceutical-grade and food-grade melatonin accounted for 58.56% and 41.44% of the market, respectively, and in 2020, the market share of the two became 58.46% and 41.54%, respectively. It can be seen that from 2015 to 2020, the market proportion of food-grade melatonin has shown a slow upward trend. Moreover, the proportion of food grade will also show an upward trend during the forecast period, owing to strong downstream demand.
In terms of different application areas, melatonin is mainly used as a dietary supplement, medical medicine, and occasionally in other areas. Among them, melatonin is used as a dietary supplement to account for more than half of the market. In 2020, the market share of melatonin supplements in different application areas of the global melatonin industry reached 53.31%, and the proportion of melatonin supplements used as medical drugs was 33.16%.
Melatonin used to be popular in some countries and regions, but because the function of melatonin is not accurate, this wind quickly subsided. Worldwide, except for a few countries and regions such as the United States and Hong Kong, China, which regard melatonin as a health food, most countries (regions) such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Ireland are cautious about the use of melatonin, which is strictly controlled as a prescription drug and cannot be freely sold in pharmacies.
The development status and prospect of the global melatonin industry market
According to our research, the global melatonin industry market was valued at $625.24 million in 2015 and grew to $1,086.39 million by 2019. However, due to the impact of the epidemic, the total market value of this industry decreased in 2020 to US$1,053.49 million. Based on this data, we carried out a series of functional operations and deduced the data for the next 5 years through scientific models. Finally, it can be predicted that the global melatonin industry market will reach a total of $1,942.96 million by 2025, with a CAGR forecast of 13.02% between 2020-2025.
Research data shows that North America is the largest revenue market for the industry. In 2015, the market share of the melatonin industry in North America was 45.80%, and in 2020, the market share in North America decreased slightly to 45.40%, while Europe ranked second with a market share of 28.67%. The continuous development of the economy in these regions, the increase in downstream demand, and the continuous innovation and advancement of technology will all drive the development of the melatonin industry.
The market concentration of the global melatonin industry is low. In 2020, the U.S.-based company Natrol occupied the first position in the industry with a market share of 1.69%. Natrol was founded in 1980 by Elliott Balbert as a cosmetics company. Over the past few decades, Natrol has grown to become one of the most recognizable brands in vitamins, minerals and supplements, helping to shape the industry now known as "nutraceuticals." Natrol is considered a pioneer in making food into pharmaceutical supplements to enhance health. In addition, Nature's County in the United States and Jameison in Canada ranked second and third with market shares of 1.12% and 0.98%, respectively. The total market share of the three companies is less than 5%, and the top six companies in the industry account for less than 10%. Therefore, the competition in the industry is self-evident.
Sleep problems are becoming more and more serious, and the global melatonin industry is becoming an inevitable trend
Melatonin, with its dual functions of helping sleep and boosting immunity, has become the fastest-growing ingredient in immune balance products. With the gradual worsening of sleep problems around the world, the melatonin market is growing rapidly. In terms of market size, it has grown rapidly since 2015 and reached $1,053.49 million in 2020. Data shows that more than 61% of adults worldwide have sleep disorders, with most falling asleep after 11 p.m. and some staying up until after 1 a.m. In the first half of 2020, the situation was exacerbated by the pandemic's long stay-at-home periods, with surveys showing that while most people slept more, they slept 2 to 3 hours late, and searches for sleep problems increased by 43%. In addition, there is a trend of younger people in the global sleep problem, and the melatonin industry has become an inevitable trend.
However, as far as the overall market of sleep medicine and health products is concerned, there are many varieties, various products have sprung up, and market competition is becoming more and more intense. The market demand for melatonin is also increasing, but the existing melatonin has a low purity extraction rate in the production process, and the production cost is high. Currently, many melatonin manufacturers are moving from traditional melatonin production to technology-based applications. As the technology matures, the market for melatonin is likely to change.