Restorative potential of melatonin during treatment of severe scabies in an experimental model

A key limitation of current synthetic treatments of scabies is their focus on eliminating the mites rather than addressing the body's immune response or tissue healing, potentially fostering drug resistance and prolonging recovery. Melatonin, with its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, presents a potential solution. Consequently, this research seeks to assess the value of melatonin supplementation as complementary therapy in Sarcoptes scabiei mite infestation. The study included 25 male crossbreed rabbits, divided into five groups of five rabbits each: group I (a negative control); group II (a positive control); group III (infected and treated with melatonin); group IV (infected and treated with ivermectin); and group V (infected and treated with melatonin and ivermectin). Clinical and parasitological assessments were conducted from day 0 till day 28 post-treatment. Serum and tissue samples were collected at the end of day 28 post-treatment for subsequent histopathological, biochemical, and immunological analyses. Our research indicated that combining melatonin with ivermectin (group V) significantly accelerated clinical improvement compared to using ivermectin alone (group IV). Melatonin also lessened the side effects of ivermectin seen in group IV and effectively alleviated itching in group V. Skin analysis of group V revealed nearly full healing and the absence of mites, unlike group IV, which still showed inflammation and dead mites. Supporting these findings, blood tests in group V demonstrated a significant improvement in biochemical and immunological markers compared to group IV. Infestation with Sarcoptes mites disrupts the balance between oxidants and antioxidants and triggers systemic inflammation. Supplementing melatonin can help restore this balance and reduce inflammation, thereby accelerating cure in affected rabbits. Therefore, melatonin is suggested as an adjunct therapy with ivermectin, particularly in severe scabies cases, and future research should explore optimal dosages and treatment regimens.