Melatonin is a multifunctional antioxidant neurohormone found in plant foods such as
lentil sprouts. We aim to evaluate the e ect of lentil sprout intake on the plasmatic levels of melatonin
and metabolically related compounds (plasmatic serotonin and urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin), total
phenolic compounds, and plasmatic antioxidant status, and compare it with synthetic melatonin.
The germination of lentils increases the content of melatonin. However, the phenolic content
diminished due to the loss of phenolic acids and flavan-3-ols. The flavonol content remained
unaltered, being the main phenolic family in lentil sprouts, primarily composed of kaempferol
glycosides. Sprague Dawley rats were used to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of melatonin
after oral administration of a lentil sprout extract and to evaluate plasma and urine melatonin and
related biomarkers and antioxidant capacity. Melatonin showed maximum concentration (45.4 pg/mL)
90 min after lentil sprout administration. The plasmatic melatonin levels increased after lentil sprout
intake (70%, p < 0.05) with respect to the control, 1.2-fold more than after synthetic melatonin ingestion.
These increments correlated with urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin content (p < 0.05), a key biomarker of
plasmatic melatonin. Nonetheless, the phenolic compound content did not exhibit any significant
variation. Plasmatic antioxidant status increased in the antioxidant capacity upon both lentil sprout
and synthetic melatonin administration. For the first time, we investigated the bioavailability of
melatonin from lentil sprouts and its role in plasmatic antioxidant status. We concluded that their
intake could increase melatonin plasmatic concentration and attenuate plasmatic oxidative stress.
