Β-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone
β-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone is an endogenous peptide hormone and neuropeptide. It is a melanocortin, specifically, one of the three types of melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and is produced from proopiomelanocortin. It is an agonist of the MC1, MC3, MC4, and MC5 receptors. It contains 23 amino acid residues.
β-MSH is also known to decrease food intake in animals such as rats, chicken due to the effect of proopiomelanocortin. Research was performed to see the effect β-MSH has on chicks, and it has been found that chicks responded with a decrease in food and water intake when treated with β-MSH. The experiment showed that β-MSH causes anorexigenic effects in chicks.