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Epitalon Background And Discovery — Background and Details

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-02-28 · last reviewed 2026-04-14 · Guide

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

Reviewed 2026-04-14. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

Epitalon Background and Discovery

The peptide emerged from research carried out in Saint Petersburg from the late 1980s onward, where investigators searched for shorter active fragments of a pineal preparation known as epithalamin. The name epitalon was chosen to reflect that parent extract. Early reports described effects on neuroendocrine markers and on the lifespan of laboratory animals. Much of that work appeared in Russian-language journals, with English translations following later, which affects how readily the original protocols can be assessed by outside groups.

Published studies on epitalon are dominated by a small number of research groups, and independent replication in other laboratories remains limited. Proposed mechanisms include activation of telomerase and modulation of melatonin rhythms, but the evidence for either rests mainly on cell cultures and animal models. Whether the peptide produces comparable effects in humans is an open question, and the absence of large controlled trials means the literature is best read as exploratory rather than settled.

Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its calculated molar mass is approximately 390.35 grams per mole. The compound is a short fragment related to a peptide fraction isolated from bovine pineal gland extracts, and it is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder intended for laboratory research. It is not a registered pharmaceutical product in most countries.

Epitalon Background And Identification

Reported biological findings come mainly from cell culture and rodent experiments. Those studies describe changes in telomerase catalytic subunit expression, melatonin rhythm amplitude, and antioxidant enzyme activity after peptide exposure. Human data are sparse and consist of small trials with limited blinding and inconsistent endpoints. The proposed mechanisms remain hypotheses rather than established facts, and there is no consensus on whether effects observed in animals carry over to people. Independent replication outside the original research groups is limited, which is a recognised gap in the published literature.

The parent extract epithalamin was characterised as a low-molecular-weight fraction of pineal tissue rather than a single defined chemical entity. Researchers fractionated it and tested successive fragments for activity, a screening approach typical of peptide discovery work in that era. Epitalon emerged from that process as one of the shorter sequences of interest. Because the original extract was never fully resolved into individual components, claims about which constituent drives a given effect rest on inference. This distinction matters when reading older reports that attribute extract observations to the tetrapeptide itself.

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.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Derived from the four-residue sequence
Molar massAbout 390.35 g/molFree peptide, counter-ion not included
AppearanceWhite to off-white powderLyophilised solid from aqueous solution
Water solubilityFreely solubleShort, polar peptide chain
Common synonymsAEDG; epithaloneCatalogues use the names interchangeably

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.

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Notes from published material

The reaction proceeds with an initial [4+1] cycloaddition followed by a reversion to eliminate a thermodynamic sink and prevent reversibility. This product is stable if a tertiary amine or isocyanopropanoate is used. If a secondary or primary isocyanide is used, the produce will form an imine which is quickly hydrolyzed. Isocyanide is a favored chemical reporter due to its small size, stability, non-toxicity, and absence in mammalian systems. However, the reaction is slow, with second order rate constants on the order of 10−2 M−1•s−1.

Autocannons are automatic guns with calibers of 20 millimeters to 57 millimeters. There are many types, including chain guns, gast guns, revolver cannons, and rotary cannons. They are used as military aircraft main guns, naval guns, anti-aircraft weapons, infantry fighting vehicle main guns and are occasionally found on reconnaissance vehicles like the LAV-25.

=== Biological characteristics === Its rapid growth and its ability to reproduce from buried rhizomes and tubers facilitates the Jerusalem artichoke's uncontrolled spread. The vegetative propagules can be transported via rivers and water streams and begin a new population on riverbanks. Dispersal by animal is also possible, as animals feed on tubers and rhizomes and excrete the propagules in new areas. With humans' cultivation, there is also a risk of the plant's unintended escape into the wild. It can also be propagated by seed. Its relatively long flower period enables the Jerusalem artichoke to increase its reproductive potential.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

peroxy Also peroxide and sometimes peroxo. A functional group consisting of two oxygen atoms directly connected to each other by a single bond and each also connected to one other atom. Peroxides have the general structural formula –O–O–.

EosFP is a photoactivatable green to red fluorescent protein. Its green fluorescence (516 nm) switches to red (581 nm) upon UV irradiation of ~390 nm (violet/blue light) due to a photo-induced modification resulting from a break in the peptide backbone near the chromophore. Eos was first discovered as a tetrameric protein in the stony coral Lobophyllia hemprichii. Like other fluorescent proteins, Eos allows for applications such as the tracking of fusion proteins, multicolour labelling and tracking of cell movement. Several variants of Eos have been engineered for use in specific study systems including mEos2, mEos4 and CaMPARI.

=== Lung biopsy === Transthoracic lung biopsies are preferable for diagnosis of constrictive BO compared to transbronchial biopsies; regardless of the type of biopsy, a diagnosis may only be achieved by examination of multiple samples. Transthoracic biopsies are preferred over transbronchial due to the heterogeneity and distribution of the lesions. OB can be further classified into two categories: constrictive or proliferative. The constrictive pattern is demonstrated by peribronchiolar cellular infiltrates which eventually causes small airway damage and leads to subepithelial fibrosis. The bronchial muscle can eventually become fibrosed which can be identified with trichrome staining. In regards to proliferative disease, intraluminal buds called "Masson bodies" fill the lumen, which results in bronchiolar plugging. Often people with proliferative disease will show butterfly wing-like appearance under microscopy. One key determinate that can be seen on biopsy to differentiate constrictive from proliferative disease is the extent of lesions. Both lesions are localized from the small bronchi to the membranous bronchi, but in constrictive disease, the lesions are intermittent while proliferative disease has a continuous distribution.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reference notes

=== 1990 === 5 August The Nuts and Bolts of Ben Bowlby, 23 year old Ben Bowlby; his sister Sophie studied costume design; his father was a photographer at the Royal Free Hospital; the first fifteen minutes would be shown as part of the November 1991 episode; monocoque structures; his child psychiatrist grandfather John Bowlby, the son of Sir Anthony Bowlby; Frank Dernie at Team Lotus in Norfolk, and automotive diffusers; circuits at Snetterton Circuit. Narrated by Martin Jarvis, directed by Patrick Uden, made by Uden Associates 12 August The Greenhouse Conspiracy 19 August Selling the Secret, about the Soviet Union selling technology; it visited the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center in Moscow. Produced by Paul Murricane, directed by Ross Wilson, made by Scottish Television 2 September Blue Skies, about British innovation and its funding; biologist Nigel R.

Recently, a new technique called NeuCode SILAC, has augmented the level of multiplexing achievable with metabolic labeling (up to 4). The NeuCode amino acid method is similar to SILAC but differs in that the labeling only utilizes heavy amino acids. The use of only heavy amino acids eliminates the need for 100% incorporation of amino acids needed for SILAC. The increased multiplexing capability of NeuCode amino acids is from the use of mass defects from extra neutrons in the stable isotopes. These small mass differences however need to be resolved on high resolution mass spectrometers. One of the main benefits of SILAC is the level of quantitation bias from processing errors is low because heavy and light samples are combined before sample preparation for MS analysis. SILAC and NeuCode SILAC are excellent techniques for detecting small changes in protein levels or post-translational modifications between experimental groups.

=== Features === The project led by MSRDC will observe international road design and safety standards, with an intelligent highway management system for traffic surveillance. The expressway is designed for a top speed of 150 km/h on plain terrain and 120 km/h on hilly terrain, even though the legal speed limit remains at 120 km/h for cars and 80 km/h for trucks, enforceable by CCTV cameras, making it the fastest road network in the country, which will cut down the travel time between the two cities to eight hours from the present 16-hour. The Super Communication Expressway will considerably contribute to the 6% to the national trunk and freight infrastructure. Nearly 36% of the state population will observe the Samruddhi Corridor as a substantial growth driver, putting a direct positive impact on their livelihood. The MSRDC has been authorized as a nodal agency, the New Town Development Authority (NTDA), for developing 19 new townships along the route, which will include state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, skill development centers, IT parks, and educational institutions. The expressway will pass through 3 wildlife sanctuaries, including a 29.6 km passage through the Katepurna Wildlife Sanctuary in Akola, 29.15 km through the Karanja-Sohol Black Buck Sanctuary in Washim, and 44.975 km through the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary in Thane. The Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway has been envisioned to ensure zero fatalities, and will have CCTVs and free telephone booths at every 5 km interval in case of an emergency.

The Times of India noted that these statements highlighted a disconnect between distributor-level performance and theatre-level earnings, suggesting that while certain distributors may have struggled due to high acquisition costs, individual cinemas in multiple territories were able to generate profits from theatrical screenings.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon made of?

It is a synthetic tetrapeptide built from alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine. The four residues are joined by standard peptide bonds, giving a linear chain rather than a branched structure.

Why is it called epitalon?

The name derives from epithalamin, a pineal gland extract studied in the former Soviet Union. Researchers proposed that short fragments of that extract carried the biological activity of interest.

Is epitalon approved for medical use?

No major regulatory agency has approved it as a medicine. It is handled as a research chemical, and products sold under this name are not standardised drugs with defined clinical labelling.

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.

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