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Background And Chemical Identity — Quick Reference

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-01-31 · last reviewed 2026-03-05 · Wiki

Everything below concerns tetrapeptide. We keep the language plain, cite what the science says, and separate well-supported claims from open questions.

Updated 2026-03-05. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.

Background and Chemical Identity

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.

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.

Analytical Methods and Storage

Verification of research-grade material involves comparing a supplier chromatogram against an in-house reference, checking the observed mass against the calculated value, and where possible confirming residue order by tandem mass spectrometry or enzymatic peptide mapping. Purity claims should be read alongside the method used to obtain them, because detection wavelength and integration settings alter the result. Batch-specific data, rather than a generic grade statement, is the informative part of a certificate.

Identity and purity of epitalon samples are normally established by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection near 214 nanometres, combined with mass spectrometry. The mass spectrum confirms the expected molecular ion and can reveal truncated or oxidised by-products. Amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis verifies that the four residues are present in the expected ratio. Certificates typically report a purity figure taken from chromatographic peak area, expressed as a percentage of total integrated signal.

Lyophilised epitalon is generally held at minus twenty degrees Celsius in a sealed container kept dry and dark. Cooler conditions are sometimes recommended for long-term archives. The solid takes up moisture readily enough that repeated opening of a vial introduces water, so dividing a batch into smaller portions before storage lowers degradation risk. Aqueous solutions are less durable than the dry powder and are usually prepared shortly before use, then kept cold and shielded from light to slow hydrolysis and oxidation.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Amino acid sequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyLinear tetrapeptide, also written AEDG
Molecular massAbout 390.35 g/molValue calculated from the sequence
AppearanceWhite to off-white powderLyophilised material forms a loose cake
SolubilityFreely soluble in waterAlso dissolves in isotonic saline
Storage-20 °C, desiccatedAliquot solutions to avoid freeze–thaw cycling

Epitalon Structure and Research Origin

Discussions in the literature often conflate three distinct entities: the pineal extract epithalamin, the isolated tetrapeptide AEDG, and commercial preparations sold under similar names. Reviews citing older Russian-language studies sometimes omit detail on purity, route of administration and control groups, which makes cross-study comparison difficult. Researchers working with the compound generally note the need for independent replication, standardized enzyme assays, and clearer reporting of peptide identity. These caveats are relevant when weighing claims that appear in secondary sources rather than in primary reports.

(TG:@pojiaai)Epitalon is a synthetic linear tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated AEDG. It emerged from work on epithalamin, a peptide fraction prepared from bovine pineal tissue, and was designed as a short, chemically defined analogue of that extract. Early publications came mainly from Russian laboratories studying pineal peptides and aging-related endpoints. The compound appears in the literature under several spellings, including epithalon and epithalone, which complicates systematic searching. Its small size makes solid-phase assembly and routine analytical characterization straightforward.

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Storage, Assay, and Regulatory Framework

Freeze-dried epitalon is normally kept at minus twenty degrees Celsius in a sealed, desiccated container, protected from light. Short excursions at ambient temperature during shipping are generally tolerated, but repeated warming and cooling cycles encourage moisture uptake, which shortens shelf life. Once dissolved, the peptide is far less stable than the solid: aqueous solutions are subject to hydrolysis and to deamidation at the aspartate and glutamate residues. Working solutions are therefore held refrigerated and used within days, and repeated freezing and thawing of the same vial is best avoided.

Identity and purity are checked by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, usually with ultraviolet detection near 214 nanometres, where the peptide bond absorbs. Mass spectrometry confirms the expected mass and reveals whether truncation products or adducts are present. Acid hydrolysis followed by amino acid analysis gives the residue ratio, which should approximate one alanine, one glutamate, one aspartate and one glycine. Counter-ions such as acetate or trifluoroacetate remain in the dried product and lower net peptide content, so a stated purity figure on a label does not by itself describe how much peptide a vial holds.

Peptide Identity and Research Origin

Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.

The published literature is dominated by a small number of research groups, much of it in Russian-language journals, and independent replication outside those groups is limited. Studies are typically small, use cultured cells or rodent models, and report endpoints that differ between papers, which makes comparison difficult. Large randomised human trials have not appeared in the indexed literature. Questions about absorption, distribution and clearance are therefore still treated as open in reviews that mention the compound.

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its design traces to epithalamin, a peptide fraction prepared from bovine pineal gland extracts that researchers in Saint Petersburg began investigating in the 1970s. The compound has a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a nominal molecular mass near 390 daltons. It holds no approved drug status in the United States or the European Union, and material sold under this name is generally offered as a research chemical rather than a finished pharmaceutical product.

Reference notes

==== United States ==== 3,4-DMA is not an explicitly controlled substance in the United States, but can be considered a Schedule I controlled substance as a positional isomer of 2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine (2,5-DMA) in this country.

Sodium thiopental or pentobarbital: ultra-short-action barbiturate, an anesthetic agent used at a high dose that renders the person unconscious in less than 30 seconds. Depression of respiratory activity is one of the characteristic actions of this drug. Consequently, it will—even in the absence of the following two drugs—cause death due to lack of breathing, as happens with overdoses of opioids. Pancuronium bromide: non-depolarizing muscle relaxant, which causes complete, fast, and sustained paralysis of the striated skeletal muscles, including the diaphragm and the rest of the respiratory muscles; this would eventually cause death by asphyxiation. Potassium chloride: a potassium salt, which increases the blood and cardiac concentration of potassium to stop the heart via an abnormal heartbeat and thus cause death by cardiac arrest.

== Structure == Convulxin is a heterodimer made up of α-(13.9 kDa) and β- (12.6 kDa) subunits, with 38% sequence identity and homologous structures. The subunits are connected by disulfide bridges to form a cyclic, ring-like α4β4 structure . Its function arises from its ability to bind with high affinity to the platelet receptor for collagen, glycoprotein (GP) VI. It is, therefore, an important task to determine the binding site on the heterodimer to the GPVI. The heterodimer structure presents a concave surface, predicted to be the ligand binding site. Furthermore, general research into the C-type lectin family describes the binding site as being formed by loop regions, falling between the second α-helix and the second β-strand on both the α- and β-subunits. Investigating the particular sequences of these structures showed high variability, suggesting that it is indeed these variable, concave loops that offer specificity in ligand binding. Analysis on the specific Cvx structure has revealed 3 possible sites of interaction with GPVI. Firstly, two adjacent patches of positive and negative charge on the α-subunit; secondly, a cavity in the same subunit lines with the following residues:Trp23, Ser67, Leu104, Ala117, Gly121 and Ile123; finally, a negatively charged patch on the β-subunit.

In 2008, she co-founded Hepregen, based on her microliver technology for drug testing. Hepregen was acquired by BioIVT in 2018. In 2015, Bhatia spun off Glympse Bio based on her activity-based nanosensor technology. Glympse Bio received significant funding to advance "activity sensors" for diagnosis and therapy selection, completing safety studies in human volunteers before merging with Sunbird Bio in 2023. She has also co-founded other startups, notably Satellite Bio (microliver "satellite" technology with Christopher Chen), Port Therapeutics (along with Gabe Kwong and Mikhail Shapiro), Impilo Therapeutics (with Erkki Ruoslahti, Frank Slack, and Michael Sailor; the company was acquired by Lisata Therapeutics in 2020), Ropirio Therapeutics (with Christopher Chen), Matrisome Bio (with Richard Hynes), and Amplifyer Bio (with J. Christopher Love, Viktor Adalsteinsson, and Todd Golub). Bhatia is a passionate advocate for gender equity and inclusivity in STEM fields. She co-founded the MIT Faculty Founders Initiative with MIT Professor and President Emerita Susan Hockfield and MIT Amgen Professor of Biology Emerita Nancy Hopkins. This initiative aims to address the significant disparity in the number of female academics in science and engineering who become entrepreneurs. Their research revealed that women had founded less than 10% of the 250 biotech startups created by MIT professors, despite women comprising 22% of the MIT faculty. Her dedication to diversity extends to:

In 1999, initiated by the International Olympic Committee to fight against doping in sport, the World Anti-Doping Agency had been founded. After the doping scandal in cycling in the summer 1998 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to establish the WADA to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight of against doping in sport. The headquarters for WADA is in Montreal, Canada. The WADA is the supreme international authority and is allowed to do doping tests and can determine which substances are illegal. In February 2011, the United States Olympic Committee and the Ad Council launched an anti-steroid campaign called Play Asterisk Free aimed at teens. The campaign first launched in 2008 under the name "Don't Be An Asterisk!". In October 2012, the USADA released evidence to corroborate their doping claim against cyclist Lance Armstrong. According to USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart, the evidence against Armstrong includes, "...scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs". On 1 November 1989, US Senator Joseph Biden introduced S. 1829, The Steroid Trafficking Act of 1989. The purpose of the act was simple: It would "amend the Controlled Substances Act to further restrict the use of steroids. By designating anabolic steroids as a Schedule II controlled substance, the bill would crack down on illegal steroid use". (Senate Judiciary Committee, 2002, p. 282).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

=== Gambling === The inclusion of behavioral addictions like pathological gambling must change our way of understanding and dealing with addictions. Pathological (disordered) gambling has commonalities in clinical expression, etiology, comorbidity, physiology and treatment with substance use disorders (DSM-5). A challenge is to understand the development of compulsivity at a neurochemical level not only for drugs.

DDP-116 – the first of the Series 16 DDP-124 – part of a trio of 24-bit systems: DDP-24, 124, 224. Honeywell bought the company after the 24 trio, and built the balance of the Series 16. The Honeywell 516 was used in the NPL network for the first implementation of packet switching in early 1969. The 516 and later the 316 were also used as Interface Message Processors (IMP) for the ARPANET. In addition, it was later configured as a Terminal IMP (TIP), which added support for up to 63 teletype machines through a multi-line controller. The H-316 was used by Charles H. Moore to develop the first complete, stand-alone implementation of Forth at NRAO in 1971. The original Prime computers were designed to be compatible with the Series-16 minicomputers. The Honeywell 316 also had industrial applications. A 316 was used at Bradwell nuclear power station in Essex as the primary reactor temperature-monitoring computer until summer 2000, when the internal 160k disk failed. Two PDP-11/70s, which had previously been secondary monitors, were moved to primary.

Studies have generally found only very weak inhibition of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake with trimipramine, and the drug has been described by various authors as devoid of monoamine reuptake inhibition. Richelson & Pfenning (1984) found a relatively high Ki for the NET of 510 nM in rat brain synaptosomes and Tatsumi et al. (1997) found a relatively high KD of 149 nM for the SERT in human HEK293 cells, but other authors and a more recent study with an improved design have not had the same findings. In the most recent study, by Haenisch et al. (2011), the researchers suggested that the discrepant findings from the Tatsumi et al. study were due to methodological differences, in particular the use of radioligand binding in isolated membranes (KD) to study interactions as opposed to actual functional reuptake inhibition (IC50).

A cold chain is a supply chain that uses refrigeration to maintain perishable goods, such as pharmaceuticals, produce or other goods that are temperature-sensitive. Common goods, sometimes called cool cargo, distributed in cold chains include fresh agricultural produce, seafood, frozen food, photographic film, chemicals, and pharmaceutical products. The objective of a cold chain is to preserve the integrity and quality of goods such as pharmaceutical products or perishable goods from production to consumption. A well functioning, or unbroken, cold chain requires uninterrupted sequence of refrigerated production, storage and distribution activities, along with associated equipment and fleet management logistics, which maintain a desired low-temperature interval to keep the safety and quality of perishable or sensitive products. Unlike other goods or merchandise, cold chain goods are perishable and always en-route towards end use or destination. Adequate cold storage, in particular, can be crucial to prevent food loss and waste.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

== Early life and education == Wolk grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. She was the first in her family to attend college. She joined Pennsylvania State University as an undergraduate student, where she studied microbiology and clinical laboratory science. After graduating, Wolk trained as a medical technologist in Danville, Pennsylvania. She joined the Geisinger Medical Center, where she was eventually made Head of Clinical Microbiology.

A core set of energy-producing catabolic pathways occur within all living organisms in some form. These pathways transfer the energy released by breakdown of nutrients into ATP and other small molecules used for energy (e.g. GTP, NADPH, FADH2). All cells can perform anaerobic respiration by glycolysis. Additionally, most organisms can perform more efficient aerobic respiration through the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Additionally plants, algae and cyanobacteria are able to use sunlight to anabolically synthesize compounds from non-living matter by photosynthesis.

=== Immunmodulating activity === Tuftsin acts at the level of antigen processing. Antigen uptake by T-lymphocytes is enhanced when a given antigen is processed in the presence of tuftsin. Maximal effect was measured at tuftsin concentration 5 × 10−8 M. This process is highly specific and dependent on the structural integrity of tuftsin. Tuftsin-antigen complexes are very immunogenic. The number of antigen-forming cells increases following injections of tuftsin T-dependent antigen. Tuftsin enhances the antigen-dependent cell-mediated immunity. Spleen cell cytotoxicity is augmented to a significant degree.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

Is epitalon a natural substance?

It is a synthetic tetrapeptide. Its sequence was derived from research on peptide fractions of bovine pineal extract, and the intact AEDG sequence has not been demonstrated as an abundant free peptide in human tissue.

What does the abbreviation AEDG mean?

AEDG is the one-letter code for the four amino acids alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine in that order. The same molecule is written in three-letter form as Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly.

How is the identity of epitalon confirmed in a laboratory?

Identity is normally confirmed by mass spectrometry against the calculated mass of roughly 390.35 g/mol. Purity is then estimated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

How is epitalon purity measured?

The usual approach is reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection, reported as a percentage of total peak area. Mass spectrometry is used alongside chromatography to confirm identity rather than purity alone.

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