en · de · es · fr · pt
epitalon-notes.peptides6908.com › Data › Epitalon Background And Identification — Explained

Epitalon Background And Identification — Explained

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-05-21 · last reviewed 2026-06-22 · Data

pineal peptides is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.

Updated 2026-06-22. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.

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.

Background and Proposed Mechanism

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.

Published evidence comes mainly from Russian-language journals and from a single research group, with small sample sizes and limited independent replication. A few laboratories outside that group have examined related peptides and reported weaker or absent telomerase effects, so the central claim is best described as contested rather than settled. Rodent studies report modest changes in some ageing markers and in survival, but designs vary and control conditions are often sparse. No large randomised trial in humans has been published, and long-term safety data in healthy populations are correspondingly thin.

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.

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

Peptide Identity and Research Origin

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.

Related pages on this site

Epitalon Background and Nomenclature

Laboratory work has examined effects on telomerase activity in cultured cells, on melatonin rhythms in animals, and on markers of oxidative stress. Some experiments report measurable changes while others show none, and the reported findings rest largely on small studies. The absence of large independent trials means the generality of these results is unresolved rather than settled. Review articles occasionally apply the label geroprotector, a term that reflects a research hypothesis about ageing rather than an established clinical finding.

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.

Notes from published material

The NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) is the internal research program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), known for its synergistic approach to biomedical science. With 1,200 Principal Investigators and over 4,000 Postdoctoral Fellows conducting basic, translational, and clinical research, the NIH Intramural Research Program is the largest biomedical research institution on earth. The unique funding environment of the IRP facilitates opportunities to conduct both long-term and high-impact science that would otherwise be difficult to undertake. With rigorous external reviews ensuring that only the most outstanding research secures funding, the IRP is responsible for many scientific accomplishments, including the discovery of fluoride to prevent tooth decay, the use of lithium to manage bipolar disorder, and the creation of vaccines against hepatitis, Hemophilus influenzae (Hib), and human papillomavirus (HPV). In addition, the IRP has also produced or trained 21 Nobel Prize-winning scientists.

==== Aerosol mass spectrometer ==== The Aerodyne AMS provides real-time aerosol mass spectrometry analysis of size-resolved mass concentration of non-refractory components (Ex. organics, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium). The term non-refractory is assigned to species that evaporate rapidly at 600 °C under vacuum conditions (e.g. organic matter, NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4. The schematic of a typical AMS is shown in the figure to the right. The Aerodyne AMS is made up of three sections; The aerosol inlet, the particle sizing chamber, and the particle detection chamber. The aerosol inlet has a flow limiting orifice entrance that is around 100 um in diameter. Once in the chamber the sample goes through aerodynamic focusing lens system, which consist of several orifice lenses that are mount in sequence of decreasing inner diameter. The lens focuses the particles into a narrow particle beam. The beam now travels through the particle sizing chamber, where the particle aerodynamic diameter is measured. The particle sizing chamber is made up of a flight tube maintained at (~ 10−5 torr). The entrance of the flight tube is a mechanical chopper that's used to modulate the particle beam; then using both the fixed length of the tube and the time-resolved detection of the arrival at the end, the particles' velocities can be determined. Using the velocity, the particle's diameter is obtained. As the particle beam exits the flight tube, it enters the particle composition detection chamber. In this section, the particles collide with a heated tungsten element (~600 °C).

The introduction of Freon in the 1920s expanded the refrigerator market during the 1930s. Home freezers as separate compartments (larger than necessary just for ice cubes) were introduced in 1940. Frozen foods, previously a luxury item, became commonplace. Freezer units are used in households as well as in industry and commerce. Commercial refrigerator and freezer units were in use for almost 40 years prior to the common home models. The freezer-over-refrigerator style had been the basic style since the 1940s, until modern, side-by-side refrigerators broke the trend. A vapor compression cycle is used in most household refrigerators, refrigerator–freezers and freezers. Newer refrigerators may include automatic defrosting, chilled water, and ice from a dispenser in the door. Domestic refrigerators and freezers for food storage are made in a range of sizes. Among the smallest are Peltier-type refrigerators designed to chill beverages. A large domestic refrigerator stands as tall as a person and may be about one metre (3 ft 3 in) wide with a capacity of 0.6 m3 (21 cu ft). Refrigerators and freezers may be free standing, or built into a kitchen. The refrigerator allows the modern household to keep food fresh for longer than before. Freezers allow people to buy perishable food in bulk and eat it at leisure, and make bulk purchases.

Drying: Principles, Applications and Design. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York. 448p. Walker, J.C.F., Butterfield, B.G., Langrish, T.A.G., Harris, J.M. and Uprichard, J.M. (1993). Primary Wood Processing. Chapman and Hall, London. 595p. Wise, L.E. and Jahn, E.C. (1952). Wood Chemistry. Vol 2. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York. 1343p. Wu, Q. (1989). An Investigation of Some Problems in Drying of Tasmanian Eucalypt Timbers. M.Eng. Sc. Thesis, University of Tasmania. 237p.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

It was also the first disease for which a vaccine was produced. The folk practice of inoculation against smallpox was brought from Turkey to Britain in 1721 by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. The terms vaccine and vaccination are derived from Variolae vaccinae (smallpox of the cow), the term devised by Edward Jenner (who both developed the concept of vaccines and created the first vaccine) to denote cowpox. He used the phrase in 1798 for the long title of his Inquiry into the Variolae vaccinae Known as the Cow Pox, in which he described the protective effect of cowpox against smallpox. In 1881, to honor Jenner, Louis Pasteur proposed that the terms should be extended to cover the new protective inoculations then being developed. The science of vaccine development and production is termed vaccinology.

Periplaneta lateralis (also Shelfordella lateralis, Blatta lateralis), commonly known as the Turkestan cockroach, red runner cockroach, or rusty red cockroach, is a primarily outdoor-dwelling cockroach native to an area stretching from northern Africa to Central Asia.

However, the Nomenclature of Steroids recommends the locant of a double bond to be always adjacent to the syllable designating the unsaturation, therefore, having it as a suffix rather than a prefix, and without the use of the Δ character, i.e. pregn-4-ene-11β,17α-diol-3,20-dione or androst-4-ene-3,11,17-trione. The double bond is designated by the lower-numbered carbon atom, i.e. "Δ4-" or "4-ene" means the double bond between positions 4 and 5. The saturation of carbons of a parent steroid can be done by adding "dihydro-" prefix, i.e., a saturation of carbons 4 and 5 of testosterone with two hydrogen atoms is 4,5α-dihydrotestosterone or 4,5β-dihydrotestosterone. Generally, when there is no ambiguity, one number of a hydrogen position from a steroid with a saturated bond may be omitted, leaving only the position of the second hydrogen atom, e.g., 5α-dihydrotestosterone or 5β-dihydrotestosterone. The Δ5-steroids are those with a double bond between carbons 5 and 6 and the Δ4 steroids are those with a double bond between carbons 4 and 5. The abbreviations like "P4" for progesterone and "A4" for androstenedione for refer to Δ4-steroids, while "P5" for pregnenolone and "A5" for androstenediol refer to Δ5-steroids. The suffix -ol denotes a hydroxy group, while the suffix -one denotes an oxo group. When two or three identical groups are attached to the base structure at different positions, the suffix is indicated as -diol or -triol for hydroxy, and -dione or -trione for oxo groups, respectively.

==== Immunity boosters ==== Antioxidants help support the development of a healthy immune system by preventing the oxidation of essential molecules in a growing kitten. Antioxidants in kitten diets can be derived from plant ingredients such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach, as well as from dietary supplements like vitamin E and zinc proteinate.

In addition to the PFC, there is moderate to high expression of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors in the primary visual cortex (V1), as well as expression of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in other visual areas, and activation of these receptors may contribute to or mediate the visual effects of serotonergic psychedelics. Serotonergic psychedelics also directly or indirectly modulate a variety of other brain areas, like the claustrum, and this may be involved in their effects as well. Psychedelics may work in part by disrupting the default mode network (DMN), a collection of interconnected brain areas which has high serotonin 5-HT2A receptor expression and is said to construct our sense of space, time, and self. The ego dissolution and altered time perception caused by psychedelics correlates with DMN desynchronization, whereas psychedelic visual imagery correlates with disruption in the visual cortex. Serotonin, as well as drugs that increase serotonin levels, like the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin releasing agents, are non-hallucinogenic in humans despite increasing activation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Serotonin is a hydrophilic molecule which cannot easily cross biological membranes without active transport, and the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is usually expressed as a cell surface receptor that is readily accessible to extracellular serotonin.

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.

Is epitalon the same substance as epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is a peptide-containing extract of bovine pineal glands, while epitalon is a single synthetic tetrapeptide. The extract contains many peptides and other tissue components, so its composition varies between batches in ways that a synthesised sequence does not.

Network