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Epitalon Structure And Research Origin — Background and Details

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-07-10 · last reviewed 2026-07-29 · News

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

Last reviewed on 2026-07-29. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.

Epitalon Structure and Research Origin

Chemically, the molecule consists of four amino acid residues joined by three peptide bonds, with a free N-terminal amino group and a free C-terminal carboxyl group. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 390 daltons. The acidic glutamate and aspartate side chains give the peptide a net negative charge near neutral pH, a property that shapes its chromatographic behaviour and solubility profile. No disulfide bridges or other post-translational modifications are present, so the primary sequence alone defines the structure.

Most experimental work has been carried out in cell culture and animal models. Several reports describe changes in telomerase activity and proliferation in cultured cells, while rodent studies have examined lifespan, melatonin rhythm and reproductive endpoints. Human data remain limited, and much of the published clinical material consists of small trials with incomplete reporting of methods and controls. Whether the cell and animal findings translate into measurable effects in people is an open question, and the mechanistic basis of the reported telomerase changes is not fully established.

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.

Epitalon Background and Nomenclature

Epitalon is the common name for a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, usually abbreviated AEDG. All four residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the free peptide has a calculated mass near 390 grams per mole. Because the chain is short and carries no modifications, it is assembled readily by solid-phase synthesis and is distributed mainly as a freeze-dried solid for laboratory work. Catalogue listings use the spellings epitalon, epithalone, and simply AEDG, and the three refer to the same sequence.

The compound is generally presented as a synthetic fragment of epithalamin, a pineal gland extract investigated in the former Soviet Union from the 1970s onward. Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues in Saint Petersburg developed short peptides modelled on such extracts, and epitalon became the most widely cited of those sequences. Most primary reports appeared in Russian-language journals or in proceedings with limited international circulation. Independent replication in laboratories outside that network remains sparse, and much repeated secondary material traces back to a small number of originating groups.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Chemical classLinear tetrapeptideFour residues joined by three peptide bonds
SequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyCommonly abbreviated AEDG
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Free acid form
Monoisotopic massApproximately 390 DaMatches values reported from mass spectrometry
Net charge near neutral pHNegativeContributed by glutamate and aspartate side chains

Chemical Identity and Research Background

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose sequence is alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, written in single-letter code as AEDG. The four residues are joined by three peptide bonds, giving a linear backbone with no branching and no disulfide bridges. Its calculated molecular mass for the free form is approximately 390.3 daltons, a figure that rises when the compound is supplied as an acetate or trifluoroacetate salt. Because the chain is short, the molecule is defined entirely by its residue order rather than by any folded three-dimensional structure.

The compound is described in the literature as a derivative of epithalamin, a preparation obtained from bovine pineal tissue. Work on this peptide family was carried out mainly by a research group in Saint Petersburg beginning in the 1980s, and the substance was later registered for clinical use in Russia under the name Epitalon. Outside that region it is generally treated as a research chemical rather than an approved medicine. Statements about its biological activity rest on a relatively small number of studies, and independent replication remains limited.

In its supplied form epitalon is a white to off-white powder, usually lyophilized and often hygroscopic. It dissolves readily in water and in aqueous buffers, and it is commonly handled as the acetate or trifluoroacetate salt to improve stability during purification and drying. The amide backbone is labile in aqueous media, so solutions are less durable than the dry solid. Handling notes in the chemical literature therefore emphasize keeping the powder dry, cool and shielded from light until it is dissolved.

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Epitalon Peptide Background and Structure

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the amino acid sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly or AEDG. It was developed by the Russian researcher Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues during work on peptide bioregulators derived from the pineal gland. The compound is short enough to be produced by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis and is typically handled as a lyophilized white powder. Its small size distinguishes it from larger pineal peptides such as epithalamin, a complex extract from which the tetrapeptide was conceptually derived.

The four residues give epitalon a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a molecular weight near 390.35 daltons. The presence of two acidic residues, glutamate and aspartate, makes the free peptide strongly acidic, while the alanine and glycine ends provide neutral, nonpolar character. This combination produces a molecule with substantial water solubility. Because there are no cysteine, methionine, or tryptophan residues, the peptide lacks the most common oxidation-sensitive side chains, which simplifies handling compared with many longer peptides.

Background and Proposed Mechanism

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. It was designed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology as a short, chemically defined analogue of epithalamin, a fraction obtained from bovine pineal tissue. Small peptide bioregulators of this type formed a long-running line of work there from the 1980s onward. Because the molecule is produced by solid-phase synthesis rather than extraction, its composition is exact and its purity can be measured directly.

The most frequently cited proposed action is induction of telomerase, the enzyme that adds repeat sequences to chromosome ends. Cell-culture work from the originating group reported higher telomerase reverse transcriptase expression and measurable telomere elongation in human somatic cells after exposure. How a four-residue peptide would reach nuclear gene regulation is not established, and no cell-surface receptor or uptake route has been identified. Additional reports describe changes in melatonin secretion, antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in aged animals, but these findings remain mechanistically unconnected to the telomerase observation.

Identity and Research Background

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.

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.

Reference notes

Modern mass spectra are usually analyzed using software: computers can search through libraries of known mass spectra peaks much faster than humans could. For peaks not found in the library, computers can simulate ionization and fragmentation processes (as well as isotope combinations) to generate hypothetical peaks to match against. Many databases of experimental peaks as well as pre-calculated hypothetical peaks are available; these can be combined in looking for a suitable interpretation of a peak.

=== Names === Nemonapride is the generic name of the drug and its INNTooltip International Nonproprietary Name and JANTooltip Japanese Accepted Name. It was also previously known as emonapride and by its former developmental code name YM 09151-2. In addition, nemonapride is known by its brand name Emilace (JPTooltip Japanese language: エミレース) in Japan and China.

Ellipse is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter Imogen Heap. After returning from a round the world writing trip, Heap completed the album at her childhood home in Essex, converting her old playroom in the basement into a studio. The album got its name from the distinctive elliptical shape of the house. The album's title was confirmed by Heap via her Twitter page on 25 April 2009, after being leaked onto the internet on 23 April. On 15 June, Heap confirmed that the album would be released on 24 August 2009 in the United Kingdom on Megaphonic Records and 25 August in North America on RCA Records and Epic Records and distributed by Sony BMG.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reference notes

Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC or AAAD), also known as DOPA decarboxylase (DDC), tryptophan decarboxylase, and 5-hydroxytryptophan decarboxylase, is a lyase enzyme (EC 4.1.1.28), located in region 7p12.2-p12.1.

{\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\sigma _{xx}&=-{\frac {2z}{\pi }}\int _{a}^{b}{\frac {p\left(x'\right)\left(x-x'\right)^{2}\,dx'}{\left[\left(x-x'\right)^{2}+z^{2}\right]^{2}}}~;~~\sigma _{zz}=-{\frac {2z^{3}}{\pi }}\int _{a}^{b}{\frac {p\left(x'\right)\,dx'}{\left[\left(x-x'\right)^{2}+z^{2}\right]^{2}}}\\[3pt]\sigma _{xz}&=-{\frac {2z^{2}}{\pi }}\int _{a}^{b}{\frac {p\left(x'\right)\left(x-x'\right)\,dx'}{\left[\left(x-x'\right)^{2}+z^{2}\right]^{2}}}\end{aligned}}}

=== Recognition === Cooper was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal by President John F. Kennedy at the White House on May 21, 1963. He also addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on the same day. Accomplishments of the Mercury 9 mission and Astronaut Gordon Cooper were celebrated in New York City with a ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes (Broadway) on May 22, 1963, with millions turning out.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reference notes

=== Other applications === In soil science, cation-exchange capacity is the ion-exchange capacity of soil for positively charged ions. Soils can be considered as natural weak cation exchangers. In pollution remediation and geotechnical engineering, ion-exchange capacity determines the swelling capacity of swelling or expansive clay such as montmorillonite, which can be used to "capture" pollutants and charged ions. In planar waveguide manufacturing, ion exchange is used to create the guiding layer of higher index of refraction. Dealkalization, removal of alkali ions from a glass surface. Chemically strengthened glass, produced by exchanging K+ for Na+ in soda glass surfaces using KNO3 melts.

For services to the community in Hockley Heath, West Midlands. Josephine Parkin. For services to the community in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Rachel Frances Parkinson. For services to the community in Whitefield, Greater Manchester during Covid-19. Bryony Emily Kate Peall. For services to the community in Saxmundham, Suffolk during Covid-19. Diana Marian Pearman. For services to the community in Sonning Common, Oxfordshire. Michelle Louise Pearse. Quality and Business Support Manager, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. For services to Education and to the community in West Cumbria. Pearl Ann Pearson-Brooke. For services to the community in Martham, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Doreen May Peck. For services to the community in Ashtead, Surrey. Captain (Rtd) Michael Neville Pemberton. Chief Executive Officer, Building Extraordinary Communities. For services to Regeneration and to the community in Cumbria. Michael James Penston. For services to the community in Southampton, Hampshire, during Covid-19. Betty Philipson. President, City Road Club (Hull). For services to Cycling and to the community in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Bryan Phillips. Volunteer, Irish Guards Association. For services to Armed Forces Charities in Northern Ireland. Malson Phillips. Chair, South Wales Shire Horse Society. For services to Conservation. Sukhdev Singh Phull. Engineer, Department for Transport. For services to Transport Technology and for charitable services through the Ekom Charity Trust. Brian Pilgrim. Lately Whitehall Area Workplace Services Manager, Government Property Agency.

In the 1960s, the BOR Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct placed professional limitations on medical technologists requiring "A medical technologist will work at all times under the direction or supervision of a pathologist or other duly qualified and licensed doctor of medicine, such qualifications being determined on the basis of accepted medical ethics" and that "A medical technologist will not act as owner, co-owner, advisor or employee, or by means of any subterfuge, participate in an arrangement whereby an individual not regularly licensed to practice medicine is enabled to own or operate a laboratory of clinical pathology." In 1965, Janet Higgins, an ASCP certified medical technologist, was removed from the Board of Registry (BOR) because she was employed at a New Jersey laboratory where the director was a state-licensed bio-analytical laboratory director, but not a physician. Though New Jersey has never required the certification for employment, the technologist successfully sued ASCP under monopolistic restraint of trade to be reinstated to the registry with the Supreme Court of New Jersey finding that the "professional status conferred on plaintiff by her certificate is an interest of sufficient substance to warrant the protection of the court." The lawsuit, and the focus on pathologists over medical technologists spurred other medical technologist societies, such as the American Society for Medical Technology (ASMT) to promote the creation of their own certifying boards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon chemically?

It is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, often abbreviated AEDG. The molecule is linear and contains no modified residues, so it is fully described by its sequence.

Where did epitalon research originate?

The compound came out of work on epithalamin, a peptide preparation derived from pineal tissue, conducted largely in Russian laboratories. Later studies in other countries examined it mainly in cell cultures and animal models.

Is epitalon a naturally occurring peptide?

The tetrapeptide sequence is a synthetic construct rather than a described circulating peptide. It was derived by analogy to peptide fractions obtained from tissue extracts, not isolated from blood or tissue as such.

What is epitalon made of?

It is a four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine. The chain is unmodified and contains only standard proteinogenic residues, which makes it straightforward to produce by solid-phase synthesis and to characterise by standard peptide methods.

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