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Epitalon Background And Identification — Reference Sheet

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-05-09 · last reviewed 2026-06-18 · News

This is a working overview of lyophilized powder, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.

Reviewed 2026-06-18. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

Epitalon Background And Identification

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the residue sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons, and it is usually supplied as a lyophilised trifluoroacetate or acetate salt. The compound was derived from a pineal gland extract called epithalamin, a heterogeneous preparation investigated in the former Soviet Union. Researchers associated with the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology described the tetrapeptide as a constituent fragment of that extract. Commercial material is offered as a laboratory reagent rather than as a finished pharmaceutical product.

Literature searches for this compound must account for several spelling variants. Indexing databases contain epitalon, epithalon, epithalone, and AEDG, and relevant records are scattered across Russian-language and English-language journals that do not consistently cross-cite. Early publications describe the parent extract as a mixture of many peptides, whereas later work addresses the single synthetic tetrapeptide. That shift in nomenclature complicates comparison between studies, because extract data and tetrapeptide data are sometimes cited interchangeably. A search strategy omitting the alternate spellings will return an incomplete set of references.

Handling, Storage and Analytical Checks

Solubility is high in water, phosphate-buffered saline and normal saline, a pattern that follows from the two acidic residues in the chain. The peptide dissolves poorly in non-polar solvents such as hexane or chloroform. Stock solutions are often prepared in water first and then diluted into the buffer of interest. Because the molecule is small and hydrophilic, filtration through a low-protein-binding membrane is usually straightforward, and visible particulates are uncommon in freshly made solutions.

Identity and purity are established with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The chromatogram shows the main peak and any truncated or oxidised by-products, while the mass spectrum confirms the expected 390 dalton mass. Amino acid analysis can corroborate composition when a sample's origin is uncertain. Counterion content, particularly residual trifluoroacetate from purification, is frequently reported alongside purity because it shifts the net mass of the solid.

Reference material is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder in a sealed vial. Product literature typically recommends storage at minus twenty degrees Celsius or colder, protected from light and moisture. Freeze-thaw cycling is usually avoided because repeated condensation can introduce water into the vial. Working solutions are commonly prepared fresh, aliquoted, and kept cold for short periods rather than stored at ambient temperature. Labelling the date of opening helps track how long a vial has been in use.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Chemical classSynthetic tetrapeptideFour amino acid residues
Residue sequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyAbbreviated AEDG
Approximate mass390.35 DaMonoisotopic, free base form
Parent preparationEpithalamin extractDerived from pineal tissue
Common spelling variantsEpithalon, epithalone, AEDGAffects literature retrieval

Chemical Identity and Research Background

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.

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.

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Epitalon in Research Literature and Handling

Regulatory status varies by country and is not harmonized. Epitalon is not an approved drug in major Western jurisdictions. In some countries it is sold as a research chemical, and in others it has appeared in products marketed for other categories. This inconsistent status means that purity, labeling accuracy, and documentation differ widely between suppliers, and verification of identity and purity through independent analysis is the usual way buyers assess a given lot.

Epitalon appears in the literature primarily through a small number of research groups, most of them associated with the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Publications describe cell culture experiments, animal studies, and a limited number of small human studies. Independent replication outside this network is sparse. As a result, reviews of the topic usually separate descriptive reports of observed effects from the question of whether those effects generalize, and they note the difficulty of comparing studies that use different preparations and endpoints.

Peptide Identity and Laboratory Handling

Storage recommendations center on limiting moisture, heat, and light. The dry powder is generally kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and some suppliers recommend minus 80 degrees for long-term archival. Once dissolved, solutions are usually aliquoted and frozen to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which can promote aggregation or degradation. Aqueous stability depends on pH and concentration, and buffered saline is often preferred over plain water for biological work. Stability data specific to epitalon remain limited, so general peptide-handling practices are applied by analogy rather than from product-specific validation.

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its calculated monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons. The compound does not occur naturally as a free peptide; it is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Because it contains two acidic residues and no basic residues, the neutral form carries a net negative charge at physiological pH. This charge profile influences how the peptide behaves in solution and during chromatographic analysis.

Laboratory-grade epitalon is typically supplied as a lyophilized powder. Purity is commonly assessed with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often paired with mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can provide additional confirmation of sequence. Certificates of analysis for research materials frequently report purity above 95 percent, although the methods behind such figures vary between suppliers. The absence of a pharmacopeial monograph means that no single standardized assay defines the compound, so reported results depend on the analytical protocol chosen.

Background from the literature

Reaction with amines to form carbamates: ROC(O)Cl + H2NR' → ROC(O)-N(H)R' + HCl Reaction with alcohols to form carbonate esters: ROC(O)Cl + HOR' → ROC(O)-OR' + HCl Reaction with carboxylic acids to form mixed anhydrides: ROC(O)Cl + HO2CR' → ROC(O)−OC(O)R' + HCl Typically these reactions would be conducted in the presence of a base which serves to absorb the HCl. Alkyl chloroformate esters degrade to give the alkyl chloride, with retention of configuration:

It took him several years to disengage from molecular biology because exciting discoveries continued to be made, including the discovery of alternative splicing and the discovery of restriction enzymes, which helped make possible genetic engineering. Eventually, in the 1980s, Crick was able to devote his full attention to his other interest, consciousness. His autobiographical book, What Mad Pursuit: A Personal View of Scientific Discovery, includes a description of why he left molecular biology and switched to neuroscience. Upon taking up work in theoretical neuroscience, Crick was struck by several things:

Half-Life: Echoes – Having a greater emphasis on survival horror than the base game, the player controls an unnamed scientist at the Black Mesa Research Facility surviving the Resonance Cascade and invasion by Xen and HECU forces. Point of View – A mod released on May 2, 2003 by the developers of Azure Sheep. The player character is a vortigaunt named Xonxt. The player can only use alien weaponry and has no armor. Medkits can't be used, instead Xen healing pools have to be used for restoring health. The Games Machine gave the mod a positive review. PC Zone gave the mod a rating of 76 out of 100 and called it "a refreshing alternative". Poke646 – Released in December 2001. Takes place after the events of Half-Life in Nation City. Features new weapons and textures. Named often one of the best single-player mods for Half-Life. Poke646: Vendetta – Released in December 2006. Sequel to Poke646. Received a positive review by PC Action. They Hunger – This is a single-player horror-based mod. It was released by Neil Manke's Black Widow Games in three episodes, the first in 1999, the second in 2000, and the final installment in 2001. All three were at one point bundled with PC Gamer magazine. USS Darkstar – A mod by Neil Manke, produced by PC Gamer and released on July 14, 1999. This mod follows a scientist on a deep-space scientific mission aboard an interstellar spacecraft. When an experiment goes awry, the player has to defend himself against aliens. The mod was first released on the PC Gamer website and was featured on the magazine's demo CD in August 1999.

== Interactions == Sauvagine has been shown to interact with corticotropin releasing factor receptors 1 and 2, and (as with other CRF-related peptides) is also bound by the corticotropin-releasing factor binding protein.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

=== Biochemistry === Estrogen and growth hormone (GH) are essential for the ductal component of mammary gland development, and act synergistically to mediate it. Neither estrogen nor GH are capable of inducing ductal development without the other. The role of GH in ductal development has been found to be mostly mediated by its induction of the secretion of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which occurs both systemically (mainly originating from the liver) and locally in the mammary fat pad through activation of the growth hormone receptor (GHR). However, GH itself also acts independently of IGF-1 to stimulate ductal development by upregulating estrogen receptor (ER) expression in mammary gland tissue, which is a downstream effect of mammary gland GHR activation. In any case, unlike IGF-1, GH itself is not essential for mammary gland development, and IGF-1 in conjunction with estrogen can induce normal mammary gland development without the presence of GH. In addition to IGF-1, other paracrine growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), amphiregulin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) are involved in breast development as mediators downstream to sex hormones and GH/IGF-1. During embryonic development, IGF-1 levels are low, and gradually increase from birth to puberty. At puberty, the levels of GH and IGF-1 reach their highest levels in life and estrogen begins to be secreted in high amounts in females, which is when ductal development mostly takes place.

=== Pharmacodynamics === Sarcosine acts as a competitive inhibitor of GlyT1, a glycine transporter that is predominantly expressed on glial cells and is responsible for the reuptake of glycine from the synaptic cleft in the central nervous system. By blocking GlyT1, sarcosine elevates the extracellular concentration of glycine in the vicinity of NMDA receptors, thereby augmenting NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission. In addition to its indirect enhancement of NMDA receptor function via GlyT1 blockade, sarcosine directly acts as a co-agonist at the glycine binding site (also termed the GluN1 site) of the NMDA receptor. It increases NMDA-mediated currents in a dose-dependent manner. Sarcosine differs from glycine as a co-agonist in that it produces markedly less NMDA receptor desensitization at subsaturating concentrations. At equivalent receptor occupancy (EC20 to EC50), sarcosine significantly slowed the rate of glycine-dependent desensitisation compared with glycine itself, whereas the rate of glycine-independent desensitisation was similar for both ligands. At concentrations higher than those required for GlyT1 inhibition or NMDA receptor co-agonism, sarcosine additionally activates strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors (GlyRs). It evokes a chloride current that is dose-dependent, inhibited by strychnine, and shows a lack of additivity with glycine. Sarcosine is less potent and efficacious than glycine at GlyRs, potentially due to steric constraints imposed by the N-methyl group within the glycine binding site on the receptor.

=== Additives === Various additives are combined into shredded tobacco product mixtures, including humectants such as propylene glycol or glycerol, as well as flavoring products and enhancers such as cocoa powder, licorice, tobacco extracts, and various sugars, which are known collectively as "casings". The leaf tobacco is then shredded, along with a specified amount of small laminate, expanded tobacco, BL, RL, ES, and IS. A perfume-like flavor/fragrance, called the "topping" or "toppings", which is most often formulated by flavor companies, is then blended into the tobacco mixture to improve the consistency in flavor and taste of the cigarettes associated with a certain brand name. Additionally, they replace flavors lost due to the repeated wetting and drying used in processing the tobacco. Finally, the tobacco mixture is filled into cigarette tubes and packaged. A list of 599 cigarette additives, created by five major American cigarette companies, was approved by the Department of Health and Human Services in April 1994. None of these additives is listed as an ingredient on cigarette packs. These chemicals are added for organoleptic purposes, and many boost the addictive properties of cigarettes, especially when burned. One of the classes of chemicals on the list, ammonia salts, converts bound nicotine molecules in tobacco smoke into free nicotine molecules. This process, known as freebasing, could potentially increase the effect of nicotine on the smoker, but experimental data suggests that absorption is, in practice, unaffected.

Nucleosides are glycosylamines that can be thought of as nucleotides without a phosphate group. A nucleoside consists simply of a nucleobase (also termed a nitrogenous base) and a five-carbon sugar (ribose or 2'-deoxyribose) whereas a nucleotide is composed of a nucleobase, a five-carbon sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. In a nucleoside, the anomeric carbon is linked through a glycosidic bond to the N9 of a purine or the N1 of a pyrimidine. Nucleotides are the molecular building blocks of DNA and RNA.

Bonded leather is made by shredding leather scraps and leather fiber, then mixing it with bonding materials. The mixture is next extruded onto a cloth or paper backing, and the surface is usually embossed with a leather-like texture or grain. Color and patterning, if any, are a surface treatment that does not penetrate like a dyeing process would. The natural leather fiber content of bonded leather varies. The manufacturing process is somewhat similar to the production of paper. Lower-quality materials may suffer flaking of the surface material in as little as a few years, while better varieties are considered very durable and retain their pattern and color even during commercial use. Because the composition of bonded leathers and related products varies considerably, and is sometimes a trade secret, it may be difficult to predict how a given product will perform over the course of time. There is a wide range in the longevity of bonded leathers and related products; some better-quality bonded leathers are claimed to be superior in durability over low-quality genuine leather.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Supporting material

There are venomous invertebrates in several phyla, including jellyfish such as the dangerous box jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war (a siphonophore) and sea anemones among the Cnidaria, sea urchins among the Echinodermata, and cone snails and cephalopods, including octopuses, among the Molluscs.

Shock: Injury, Inflammation, and Sepsis: Laboratory and Clinical Approaches (ISSN 1073-2322) is the official journal of the Shock Society, the European Shock Society, the Indonesian Shock Society, the International Federation of Shock Societies, and the Official and International Journal of the Japan Shock Society. The journal publishes scholarly research reports on basic and clinical studies of shock, trauma, sepsis, inflammation, ischemia, and related pathobiological states, with particular emphasis on the biologic mechanisms that determine the response to such injury. This scholarly journal has both print and online version. The journal has an impact factor of 3.1 and publishes 12 issues per year.

=== Figure skating scandals === Attack on Nancy Kerrigan - Nancy Kerrigan was attacked after a practice session at the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Kerrigan's main team competitor, Tonya Harding, was accused of being involved in the attack. Kamila Valieva's failed drug test - Kamila Valieva failed a drug test for a banned heart medication in December 2021. This drug test result only surfaced after the figure skating team event in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games, in which she competed for the ROC. Despite the result of the drug test, Kamila Valieva was cleared to skate in the Beijing 2022 singles event by the Court of Arbitration for Sport the following week, as she was considered a protected person due to being only 15 years of age. This decision was highly controversial and has resulted in the minimum age for competing in the Olympic Games for figure skating to rise from 15 years of age to 17 years of age.

== External links == Media related to Eflornithine at Wikimedia Commons Clinical trial number NCT02395666 for "Preventative Trial of Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in High Risk Patients With Neuroblastoma That is in Remission" at ClinicalTrials.gov Clinical trial number NCT02679144 for "Neuroblastoma Maintenance Therapy Trial (NMTT)" at ClinicalTrials.gov

The two substrates of this enzyme are D-gluconic acid and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are 5-oxo-D-gluconic acid, reduced NADH, and a proton. The enzyme can use nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate as an alternative cofactor. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-OH group of donor with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is D-gluconate:NAD(P)+ 5-oxidoreductase. Other names in common use include 5-keto-D-gluconate 5-reductase, 5-keto-D-gluconate 5-reductase, 5-ketogluconate 5-reductase, 5-ketogluconate reductase, and 5-keto-D-gluconate reductase.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon derived from?

It is based on epithalamin, a peptide-rich preparation obtained from pineal gland tissue and studied in the former Soviet Union. Researchers later identified the tetrapeptide AEDG as a constituent fragment of that material. Modern supplies are produced by chemical synthesis rather than tissue extraction.

Is epitalon identical to epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is a heterogeneous extract containing many peptides, while epitalon is a single synthesised tetrapeptide. Publications sometimes treat findings from the two as equivalent, which is a common source of confusion. Their compositions differ and they are not interchangeable in analytical terms.

Why are human studies so limited?

Most published work uses cell cultures or rodents because those models are faster and less costly to run. The few human trials that have been reported are small, and several lack control groups or blinding. This restricts what can reasonably be concluded about effects in people.

How should epitalon powder be stored?

Sealed lyophilised powder is normally kept at minus twenty degrees Celsius or below, away from light and moisture. Vials are allowed to reach room temperature before opening to limit condensation. Repeated warming and cooling of the same vial is discouraged.

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