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epitalon-notes.peptides4800.com › Guide › Structure, Naming And Discovery — Questions and Answers

Structure, Naming And Discovery — Questions and Answers

By Editorial Desk · published 2025-10-18 · last reviewed 2025-11-16 · Guide

The short version of Deamidation fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.

This page was last updated on 2025-11-16 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.

Structure, Naming and Discovery

Residue composition is the property that most cleanly separates verified material from mislabelled samples. Alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine appear in that order from the N-terminus, and the two acidic residues sit in the middle of the chain. Because the peptide is short, it can be produced by solid-phase synthesis and characterised by mass spectrometry without ambiguity. Any reported sample whose measured mass departs substantially from 390 daltons is a different compound or a degraded mixture rather than epitalon.

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose four residues are alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its monoisotopic mass is near 390.35 daltons. The peptide carries two acidic side chains, so it is neutral to negatively charged in most aqueous buffers. Published reference summaries usually list it under both spellings, epitalon and epithalon, and treat the two names as the same material.

The compound is generally described as a synthetic analogue of a fragment isolated from a pineal gland extract. Researchers associated with the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology introduced it during the 1980s and 1990s while studying short peptides from animal tissue. The original extract, called epithalamin, is a heterogeneous mixture, whereas epitalon is a single defined sequence. That distinction matters because findings reported for the extract are not automatically findings about the pure tetrapeptide, and claims about broader biological effects remain a separate question from the chemical identity described here.

Analytical Characterization and Stability

Because epitalon has no pharmacopoeial monograph, quality assessment depends on supplier documentation and independent testing. Certificates of analysis typically report a purity figure from a single chromatographic run, a measured mass and sometimes an appearance description, but methods and acceptance criteria are not harmonised across vendors. Third-party laboratories can repeat identity and purity measurements, and mismatches between labelled and measured peptide content have been described for research peptides generally. What constitutes adequate identity confirmation for a molecule of this size stays an open question, since mass agreement alone does not separate closely related sequences.

Identity testing for epitalon relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for purity and mass spectrometry for mass confirmation. Because the sequence contains no tryptophan or tyrosine, ultraviolet detection at 280 nanometres is insensitive, so chromatographic methods usually monitor absorbance near 214 nanometres, where the peptide backbone absorbs. Electrospray ionisation or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation then checks the intact mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Peptide mapping or amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis can supplement these measurements, although such confirmatory work is seldom reported on commercial certificates of analysis.

Stability of the tetrapeptide follows ordinary peptide chemistry rather than any unusual structural feature. The aspartate-glycine pair is prone to aspartimide formation under mildly basic or neutral conditions, and deamidation can follow, altering both mass and chromatographic retention. Dry lyophilised powder kept at or below minus twenty degrees Celsius is the usual handling recommendation, with repeated freeze-thaw cycles avoided. Once dissolved in neutral aqueous buffer, degradation proceeds over days to weeks depending on pH and temperature, while acidic conditions generally slow the aspartimide route. A formal stability-indicating study has not been published in the indexed literature.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Derived from the four constituent residues
Molecular massAbout 390.35 DaMonoisotopic value, confirmed by mass spectrometry
Residue sequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyRead from the N-terminus to the C-terminus
Common synonymsEpithalon; AEDGBoth forms appear in reference catalogues
Net charge near neutral pHNegativeTwo acidic side chains give a low isoelectric point

Identity and Research Background

The peptide is a synthetic analogue of epithalamin, a preparation extracted from bovine pineal glands. Investigators sought a short, chemically defined molecule that would reproduce some of the endocrine and gerontological observations attributed to the glandular extract. Proposed mechanisms centre on induction of telomerase activity, an effect reported in cultured human somatic cells in the early 2000s, together with influences on melatonin secretion and neuroendocrine regulation. Those mechanisms remain incompletely characterised, and the reported telomerase response has not been consistently reproduced by independent groups working in comparable systems.

Published work on this compound consists mainly of in vitro experiments, animal studies, and small clinical investigations, a substantial share of which appeared in Russian-language journals. Sample sizes are generally small, control conditions differ between studies, and several endpoints rely on markers whose clinical meaning is itself debated. Reviews of the longevity field treat the peptide as an early example of telomerase-directed research rather than an established intervention. Regulatory treatment varies by country: some jurisdictions place it under prescription controls, others treat it as a laboratory material, and importation may be restricted regardless of local status.

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose sequence is alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. It was developed in Russia during the 1980s and 1990s by investigators associated with the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, who studied short peptides as regulators of gene expression and tissue function. The alternative spelling epithalon appears interchangeably in the literature, and the two names refer to the same molecule. Outside Russia it is encountered chiefly as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine, and it holds no approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency.

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Laboratory Handling and Analytical Verification

Short peptides such as AEDG are normally supplied as a freeze-dried solid and are kept dry, cold, and shielded from light. Holding at minus twenty degrees Celsius is common for the long term, while a refrigerator suffices for brief periods before use. The material takes up moisture to some degree, so containers should stay sealed and be allowed to reach room temperature before opening, which limits condensation on the contents. Repeated warming and cooling of a single container is discouraged because it admits water and can lower the amount of intact peptide.

Dissolution is usually performed in water or a suitable aqueous buffer, and the resulting liquid is divided into single-use portions before freezing. Freeze-thaw cycling is a recognised source of loss for short peptides, since each cycle can encourage aggregation or adsorption onto container walls. Working solutions are generally kept cold and used within a short window, although published stability data specific to epitalon are thin. Containers should be marked with concentration and date, and solutions examined for cloudiness before use.

Background and Chemical Identity

Epitalon is a synthetic linear tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and the calculated mass is approximately 390.35 g/mol. The compound is made by solid-phase peptide synthesis rather than extracted from tissue, although early work described it as a short fragment of a peptide fraction obtained from bovine pineal extract. In the research literature the spelling epitalon and the variant epithalone both appear, while AEDG is the standard code used in peptide nomenclature.

Several names circulate for the same molecule, including epitalon, epithalone, epithalamin tetrapeptide, and the sequence code AEDG. A CAS registry number, 307297-39-8, is commonly cited for it, though catalogue entries should be checked against supplier documentation because mislabelled records occur. In its usual form the peptide carries free amino and carboxyl termini and is neither glycosylated nor lipidated. Researchers distinguish the defined tetrapeptide from epithalamin itself, a crude pineal preparation containing many peptides that is not chemically characterised.

Material supplied for laboratory use is normally a lyophilised white to off-white powder that dissolves readily in water and in isotonic saline. Lyophilised cakes are hygroscopic and should be equilibrated to room temperature before opening to limit condensation on the solid. Solutions are typically prepared at milligram-per-millilitre concentrations and divided into single-use aliquots, because repeated freeze–thaw cycles degrade short peptides. Aqueous solutions are far less stable than the dry powder, and identity is usually verified by mass spectrometry alongside purity estimation from reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Analytical Methods And Handling

Documentation accompanying research peptides usually includes a certificate of analysis listing the batch number, purity figure, and test methods applied. Buyers comparing suppliers should check whether the reported purity refers to chromatographic area or to a mass-balance calculation, because the two are not equivalent. Counter-ion content, residual solvents, and water content are sometimes omitted from such certificates even though they affect the actual peptide mass present. Independent verification through a second laboratory is the most direct way to confirm that a supplied material matches its label.

Purity assessment of peptide reagents normally relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A gradient of acetonitrile in water with trifluoroacetic acid, paired with a C18 stationary phase, separates the target tetrapeptide from truncated sequences and deletion analogues. Detection at 214 nanometres exploits absorbance of the peptide backbone, since the molecule contains no aromatic residue. Results are expressed as a percentage of total peak area. Values above ninety-five percent are typical for research-grade material, although reporting conventions vary between suppliers.

Notes from published material

An automated synthesis is very similar in procedure to performing a manual synthesis. The overseeing chemist decides on a target molecule then formulates the experimental plan, which is a sequential series of steps. Then, they collect the required equipment and execute the plan. The automated synthesis follows the same pathway, except that the computer devises and executes the experimental plan. However, human revision is usually still required to ensure the automated route is practical and there are no implicit steps or conditions missing from the proposed procedure. In organic synthesis, organic synthesis software is used to automate the process of identifying sequences of reactions or routes that can be used to synthesize organic compounds.

Degradation of an amino acid often begins with transamination, in which its amino group is transferred to α-ketoglutarate, forming glutamate. This process involves transaminases, often the same enzymes used in amino acid synthesis. In many vertebrates, the amino group is subsequently released as ammonia and converted to urea via the urea cycle for excretion. However, amino acid degradation can result in uric acid or ammonia instead, depending on the organism. For example, serine dehydratase converts serine directly to pyruvate and ammonia. After removal of one or more amino groups, the remaining carbon skeleton of an amino acid can serve as a precursor for synthesizing other amino acids, be further metabolized for energy after conversion into intermediates of glycolysis (typically via gluconeogenesis) or of the citric acid cycle, or be used for fatty acid synthesis and storage as triacylglycerol.

== History == Opipramol was developed by Geigy. It first appeared in the literature in 1952 and was patented in 1961. The drug was first introduced for use in medicine in 1961. Opipramol was one of the first TCAs to be introduced, with imipramine marketed in the 1950s and amitriptyline marketed in 1961.

== Usage == The person's age and the frequency with which BCG is given have always varied from country to country. The WHO recommends childhood BCG for all countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis and/or high leprosy burden. This is a partial list of historic and active BCG practices around the globe. A complete atlas of past and present practice has been generated. As of 2022, 155 countries offer the BCG vaccine in their schedule.

== Significance == The label ‘open-source’ can provide real benefits to companies looking to hire top talent or attract customers. The debate around "openwashing” (or calling a project open-source when it is mostly closed) has big implications for the success of various projects within the industry. Open-source artificial intelligence tends to get more support and adoption in countries and companies that do not have their own leading AI model. These open-source projects can help to undercut the position of business and geopolitical rivals with the strongest proprietary models. Europe is a region pursuing openness as a digital sovereignty strategy to try and reduce the leverage that countries like the United States can use in negotiations on various topics like trade.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

==== Blue ==== Prussian blue, or blue, a coloring used in the treatment of radiation, cesium, and thallium poisoning, can turn the feces blue. Substantial consumption of products containing blue food dye, such as blue curaçao or grape soda, can have the same effect.

=== Pyrolysis–mass spectrometry === Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (Py-MS) is an new technique that combines pyrolysis with DART-MS or Ambient Corona Discharge Ionization-mass spectrometry for Thermal Desorption and Pyrolysis to determine the structure of small molecules and polymers.

== Main Campus == Main campus is in Anjanthali village in Nilokheri tehsil of Karnal after 97 acres land of HAU's Regional Research Station was transferred to the Horticulture university. University has "Regional Research Stations" at Ambala, Jind and Jhajjar.

The Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP; pronounced "lurp") was a freeze-dried dehydrated United States military ration used by the Department of Defense. Developed in 1964 and intended for wide adoption during the Vietnam War, its use was eventually limited to American special operations forces during long-range reconnaissance patrols, where bulky canned Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) rations proved too heavy for extended missions on foot. The LRP had a cold-weather warfare equivalent, the Ration, Cold Weather (RCW). The LRP and RCW were mostly superseded by the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) in the 1980s. They are no longer produced or used by the U.S. military, having been replaced in 2001 by the Meal, Cold Weather/Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (MCW/LRP), which combines the functions and roles of both rations under a unified system.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon made of?

It is a four-amino-acid peptide built from alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine in that order. Its formula is C14H22N4O9, and it is made by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from tissue. The synthetic peptide is a single defined molecule, unlike the pineal extracts it is often compared with.

Are epitalon and epithalon different compounds?

No. The two spellings refer to the same tetrapeptide, and the difference reflects transliteration from Russian. Laboratories and catalogues use both forms interchangeably. The material is also indexed as AEDG, taken from the one-letter codes of its residues.

How does epitalon differ from epithalamin?

Epithalamin is a mixed preparation derived from animal pineal tissue and contains many peptides. Epitalon is one synthetic sequence chosen for study from that broader mixture. Statements about one do not transfer directly to the other.

Why is ultraviolet detection at 214 nanometres used?

The molecule lacks aromatic residues, so it absorbs weakly near 280 nanometres, the wavelength applied to many other peptides. The peptide bond absorbs strongly below 220 nanometres, making 214 nanometres a practical compromise. Gradient methods must therefore use mobile phases with low ultraviolet absorbance to keep the baseline clean.

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