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Background And Chemical Identity — Worked Examples

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-04-19 · last reviewed 2026-05-09 · Wiki

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

Last reviewed on 2026-05-09. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.

Background and Chemical Identity

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.

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.

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.

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

Structure, Naming and Discovery

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.

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.

Related pages on this site

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.

Notes from published material

is independent of strain rate. Such fluids are called Newtonian. Gases, water, and many common liquids can be considered Newtonian in ordinary conditions and contexts. However, there are many non-Newtonian fluids that significantly deviate from this behavior. For example:

If one of the essential amino acids is not available in the required quantities, protein synthesis will be inhibited, irrespective of the availability of the other amino acids. Protein deficiency has been shown to affect all of the body's organs and many of its systems, for example affecting brain development in infants and young children; inhibiting upkeep of the immune system, increasing risk of infection; affecting gut mucosal function and permeability, thereby reducing absorption and increasing vulnerability to systemic disease; and impacting kidney function. The physical signs of protein deficiency include edema, failure to thrive in infants and children, poor musculature, dull skin, and thin and fragile hair. Biochemical changes reflecting protein deficiency include low serum albumin and low serum transferrin. The amino acids that are essential in the human diet were established in a series of experiments led by William Cumming Rose. The experiments involved elemental diets to healthy male graduate students. These diets consisted of corn starch, sucrose, butterfat without protein, corn oil, inorganic salts, the known vitamins, a large brown "candy" made of liver extract flavored with peppermint oil (to supply any unknown vitamins), and mixtures of highly purified individual amino acids. The main outcome measure was nitrogen balance. Rose noted that the symptoms of nervousness, exhaustion, and dizziness were encountered to a greater or lesser extent whenever human subjects were deprived of an essential amino acid.

, the Darcy friction factor (also called flow coefficient λ). For laminar flow in a circular pipe of diameter Dc, the friction factor is inversely proportional to the Reynolds number alone (fD = ⁠64/Re⁠) which itself can be expressed in terms of easily measured or published physical quantities (see section below). Making this substitution the Darcy–Weisbach equation is rewritten as

The relationship between the Druze and the Holy See dates back to the Crusades. In the 15th century, the Holy See sought to extend its relations with various non-Catholic communities in the Orient, in particular, the Druze. As early as 1441, Papal delegate Antoine de Troya led a joint Maronite-Druze delegation to Rome. In a 1610 letter, Pope Paul V entrusted Fakhr al-Din II with the protection of the Maronite community. Fakhr al-Din II, a prominent Druze leader of the early 17th century, spent a period of exile in Livorno, Italy. He stayed in the apartment of the late Pope Leo X in the Palazzo Vecchio during his visits to Florence. In 1761, Pope Benedict XIV sent a letter of gratitude to Ali Jumblatt for facilitating the work of Roman Catholic religious orders in Mount Lebanon and the Chouf. In 1791, Pope Pius VI sent a letter to Bashir Jumblatt, expressing gratitude for allowing the Maronites to build more churches in the Chouf area. However, during periods of civil war when the Druze and Christians (mostly Maronites) clashed, the Vatican expressed its displeasure with Druze leaders and naturally aided Christian groups. Today, relations between the Holy See and Druze religious institutions are positive, characterized by meetings and interfaith dialogues. This relationship is also reflected in the Eastern Catholic Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Melkite Catholic Church, whose followers have coexisted with the Druze for centuries.

All cells contain enzyme systems that scan for DNA damage and carry out repair. Diverse repair processes have evolved in all organisms. Repair is vital to maintain DNA integrity, avoid cell death and errors of replication that could lead to mutation. Repair processes include nucleotide excision repair, DNA mismatch repair, non-homologous end joining of double-strand breaks, recombinational repair and light-dependent repair (photoreactivation).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

In 1900, a worldwide survey found 356 refrigerated ships, 37% of which had air machines, 37% ammonia compressors and 25% CO2 compressors. In 1900, Great Britain imported over 360,000 metric tons of refrigerated meat: 220,000 tons from Argentina, 95,000 tons from New Zealand and 45,000 tons from Australia. There were weekly sailings on refrigerated "banana boats" from the UK to Central America by Elders and Fyffes Ltd, which had been importing bananas since 1888 to the UK in their own ships. Round trips took 28 days. In 1901, the first refrigerated banana ship, Port Morant, was equipped with a CO2 machine and carried 23,000 stems of bananas at a controlled temperature from Jamaica to the UK. In 1902, Lloyd's Register recorded 460 ships with refrigerating plants. By 1902, the United Fruit Company started having refrigerated banana boats built in the UK to add to their fleet which hauled passengers and bananas between ports in the United States and Central America. By 1910, UK refrigerated meat imports rose to 760,000 tons per year. By 1910, the British company J & E Hall had installed 1800 CO2 refrigeration machines in ships. By 1913, the UK fleet included 230 refrigerated ships with a total cargo capacity of 440,000 tons. By 1935, refrigerated imports into Britain totaled 1,000,000 metric tons (980,000 long tons; 1,100,000 short tons) of meat, 500,000 tons of butter, 130,000 tons of cheese, 430,000 tons of apples and pears, and 20 million stems of bananas.

In October 1997, a pumpkin was placed on the lightning rod of McGraw Tower at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Due to attempts to identify the pumpkin, speculation on how it was placed, and the unknown identity of the culprit, the pumpkin acquired national news coverage as well as a dedicated website with a webcam. It was nicknamed the Great Pumpkin Mystery by some news outlets. The pumpkin stayed on the top of the tower until March 1998, when it was accidentally knocked down by a crane cage during a rehearsal for its removal. After its recovery by the university's provost, it was freeze-dried and held in a glass case in various areas of the university until it decayed fully. The pumpkin continued as a part of university legend, with its anniversary marked in 2007 and 2017 and another pumpkin placed on the tower during renovations in 2023.

==== MeSH D13.570.800 – ribonucleosides ==== MeSH D13.570.800.096 – adenosine MeSH D13.570.800.096.250 – adenosine-5'-(n-ethylcarboxamide) MeSH D13.570.800.096.262 – s-adenosylhomocysteine MeSH D13.570.800.096.264 – s-adenosylmethionine MeSH D13.570.800.096.300 – 2-chloroadenosine MeSH D13.570.800.096.300.200 – cladribine MeSH D13.570.800.096.500 – isopentenyladenosine MeSH D13.570.800.096.630 – phenylisopropyladenosine MeSH D13.570.800.286 – cytidine MeSH D13.570.800.286.300 – azacitidine MeSH D13.570.800.330 – dichlororibofuranosylbenzimidazole MeSH D13.570.800.410 – formycins MeSH D13.570.800.410.200 – coformycin MeSH D13.570.800.453 – guanosine MeSH D13.570.800.453.500 – nucleoside q MeSH D13.570.800.573 – inosine MeSH D13.570.800.573.130 – didanosine MeSH D13.570.800.573.450 – inosine pranobex MeSH D13.570.800.573.900 – thioinosine MeSH D13.570.800.573.900.500 – methylthioinosine MeSH D13.570.800.790 – ribavirin MeSH D13.570.800.810 – showdomycin MeSH D13.570.800.840 – toyocamycin MeSH D13.570.800.850 – tubercidin MeSH D13.570.800.892 – uridine MeSH D13.570.800.892.176 – azauridine MeSH D13.570.800.892.250 – 3-deazauridine MeSH D13.570.800.892.628 – pseudouridine MeSH D13.570.800.892.800 – tetrahydrouridine MeSH D13.570.800.892.829 – thiouridine

=== Mechanistic role in LTP === There is strong evidence that after activation of CaMKII, CaMKII plays a role in the trafficking of AMPA receptors into the membrane and then the PSD of the dendrite. Movement of AMPA receptors increases postsynaptic response to presynaptic depolarization through strengthening the synapses. This produces LTP. Mechanistically, CaMKII phosphorylates AMPA receptors at the P2 serine 831 site. This increases channel conductance of GluA1 subunits of AMPA receptors, which allows AMPA receptors to be more sensitive than normal during LTP. Increased AMPA receptor sensitivity leads to increased synaptic strength. In addition to increasing the channel conductance of GluA1 subunits, CaMKII has also been shown to aid in the process of AMPA receptor exocytosis. Reserve AMPA receptors are embedded in endosomes within the cell. CaMKII can stimulate the endosomes to move to the outer membrane and activate the embedded AMPA receptors. Exocytosis of endosomes enlarges and increases the number of AMPA receptors in the synapse. The greater number of AMPA receptors increases the sensitivity of the synapse to presynaptic depolarization, and generates LTP.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reference notes

Until January 1918, the Free Cossacks of Ukraine were subordinate to the Ukrainian General Secretariat of Internal Affairs. With the beginning of the Ukrainian-Soviet War, their units were incorporated into the regular army. However, after a number of battles against the Bolsheviks, Free Cossacks were disarmed in compliance with orders of the German command, whose troops had occupied Ukraine in March–April 1918 after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. On 29 April 1918 Pavlo Skoropadskyi, the earlier leader of Free Cossacks, was proclaimed Hetman of Ukraine at a congress of the conservative All-Ukrainian Union of Landowners. This coup was backed by generals of German and Austrian armies which were occupying Ukraine at that time. The previously democratic Ukrainian People's Republic was replaced with the Hetmanate, the Central Rada and the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian People's Republic were abolished, with all their powers, as well as command over the military, being transferred to Skoropadskyi, and private land ownership was reinstated. Local administration was entrusted to commissioners personally appointed by the hetman. To achieve legitimacy among the Ukrainian population, the Skoropadskyi styled his regime as a continuation of Ukrainian Cossack traditions of the 17-18th centuries. The hetman's government included representatives of old Cossack nobility (starshyna), most prominently Fedir Lyzohub (head of the Conucil of Ministers) and Dmytro Doroshenko (Minister of Foreign Affairs).

The generation of reducing equivalents, in the form of NADPH, used in reductive biosynthesis reactions within cells (e.g. fatty acid synthesis). Production of ribose 5-phosphate (R5P), used in the synthesis of nucleotides and nucleic acids. Production of erythrose 4-phosphate (E4P), used in the synthesis of aromatic amino acids in non-mammals. Aromatic amino acids, in turn, are precursors for many biosynthetic pathways, including the lignin in wood. Dietary pentose sugars derived from the digestion of nucleic acids may be metabolized through the pentose phosphate pathway, and the carbon skeletons of dietary carbohydrates may be converted into glycolytic/gluconeogenic intermediates. In mammals, the PPP occurs exclusively in the cytoplasm. In humans, it is found to be most active in the liver, mammary glands, and adrenal cortex. The PPP is one of the three main ways the body creates molecules with reducing power, accounting for approximately 60% of NADPH production in humans. One of the uses of NADPH in the cell is to prevent oxidative stress. It reduces glutathione via glutathione reductase, which converts reactive H2O2 into H2O by glutathione peroxidase. If absent, the H2O2 would be converted to hydroxyl free radicals by Fenton chemistry, which can attack the cell. Erythrocytes, for example, generate a large amount of NADPH through the pentose phosphate pathway to use in the reduction of glutathione. Hydrogen peroxide is also generated for phagocytes in a process often referred to as a respiratory burst.

==== Absorption ==== With oral administration of a single dose, THC is almost completely absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. However, due to first-pass metabolism in the liver and the high lipid solubility of THC, only about 5 to 20% reaches circulation. Following oral administration, concentrations of THC and its major active metabolite 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) peak after 0.5 to 4 hours, with median time to peak of 1.0 to 2.5 hours at different doses. In some cases, peak levels may not occur for as long as 6 hours. Concentrations of THC and 11-hydroxy-THC in the circulation are approximately equal with oral administration. There is a slight increase in dose proportionality in terms of peak and area-under-the-curve levels of THC with increasing oral doses over a range of 2.5 to 10 mg. A high-fat meal delays time to peak concentrations of oral THC by 4 hours on average and increases area-under-the-curve exposure by 2.9-fold, but peak concentrations are not significantly altered. A high-fat meal additionally increases absorption of THC via the lymphatic system and allows it to bypass first-pass metabolism. Consequently, a high-fat meal increases levels of 11-hydroxy-THC by only 25% and most of the increase in bioavailability is due to increased levels of THC. The bioavailability of THC when smoking or inhaling is approximately 25%, with a range of 2% to 56% (although most commonly between 10–35%).

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.

Which amino acids make up epitalon?

The peptide contains four residues in the order alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine, abbreviated AEDG. The chain is linear and held together by three peptide bonds. Its calculated mass for the uncharged free form is about 390.3 daltons.

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