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Background And Chemical Identity — Practical Notes

By Editorial Desk · published 2025-10-14 · last reviewed 2025-11-16 · Data

lyophilised powder comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.

Last reviewed on 2025-11-16. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.

Background and Chemical Identity

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.

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.

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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.

Background from the literature

=== Neuropsychiatric disorders === Methylene blue inhibits monoamine oxidase, inhibits the glutamatergic system (via inhibition of NO synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase), modulates mitochondrial function (by acting as an electron acceptor), and decreases the activation of inflammasomes NLRP3 and NLRC4. As a result, it's been considered potentially useful in neuropsychiatric disorders. In humans it has been tried for (listed in decreasing order of evidence quality): bipolar disorder (especially depressive symptoms), Alzheimer's disease, claustrophobia, ifosfamide encephalopathy, and schizophrenia. With methylene blue, a higher dose does not necessarily work better than a lower dose.

=== Tissue scaffolding === The temperature-based phase behavior of ELPs can be utilized to produce stiff networks that may be compatible with cellular regeneration applications. At high concentrations (weight percent exceeding 15%), the ELP transition from a linear state to a spherical aggregate state above the transition temperature is arrested, leading to the formation of brittle gels. These otherwise brittle networks can then be modified chemically, via oxidative coupling, to yield hydrogels which can sustain high levels of mechanical stress and strain. Also, the modified gel networks contain pores, through which important cell-sustaining compounds can easily be delivered. Such strong hydrogels, when bathed in minimal cell media, have been found to promote the growth of human mesencyhmal stem cell populations. The ability of these arrested ELP networks to promote cell growth may prove indispensable in the production of tissue scaffolds that promote cartilage production, for example. Such an intervention may prove useful in the treatment of bone disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

==== Metal-based nanoparticles ==== Inorganic nanomaterials, (e.g. quantum dots, nanowires, and nanorods) because of their interesting optical and electrical properties, could be used in optoelectronics. Furthermore, the optical and electronic properties of nanomaterials which depend on their size and shape can be tuned via synthetic techniques. There are the possibilities to use those materials in organic material based optoelectronic devices such as organic solar cells, OLEDs etc. The operating principles of such devices are governed by photoinduced processes like electron transfer and energy transfer. The performance of the devices depends on the efficiency of the photoinduced process responsible for their functioning. Therefore, better understanding of those photoinduced processes in organic/inorganic nanomaterial composite systems is necessary in order to use them in optoelectronic devices. Nanoparticles or nanocrystals made of metals, semiconductors, or oxides are of particular interest for their mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical and other properties. Nanoparticles have been used as quantum dots and as chemical catalysts such as nanomaterial-based catalysts. Recently, a range of nanoparticles are extensively investigated for biomedical applications including tissue engineering, drug delivery, biosensor. Nanoparticles are of great scientific interest as they are effectively a bridge between bulk materials and atomic or molecular structures.

The collection grew slowly and suffered another major fire in 1851, which destroyed two-thirds of Jefferson's original books. The Library of Congress faced space shortages, understaffing, and lack of funding, until the American Civil War increased the importance of legislative research to meet the demands of a growing federal government. In 1870, the library gained the right to receive two copies of every copyrightable work printed in the United States; it also built its collections through acquisitions and donations. Between 1890 and 1897, a new library building, now the Thomas Jefferson Building, was constructed. Two additional buildings, the John Adams Building (opened in 1939) and the James Madison Memorial Building (opened in 1980), were later added. The LC's Congressional Research Service provides objective non-partisan research to Congress to assist it in passing legislation. The library is open to the public for research, although only members of Congress, their staff, and library employees may borrow materials for use outside the library.

The pericardium is the sac that surrounds the heart. The tough outer surface of the pericardium is called the fibrous membrane. This is lined by a double inner membrane called the serous membrane that produces pericardial fluid to lubricate the surface of the heart. The part of the serous membrane attached to the fibrous membrane is called the parietal pericardium, while the part of the serous membrane attached to the heart is known as the visceral pericardium. The pericardium is present in order to lubricate its movement against other structures within the chest, to keep the heart's position stabilised within the chest, and to protect the heart from infection.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

== Typical design == The catalyst traditionally consists of a 2% coating of Ni in the form of nickel nitrate deposited on a chromatographic packing material. A 1½" long bed is packed around the bend of an 8"×1/8" SS U-tube. The tube is clamped in a block so that the ends protrude down into the column oven for connection between column or TCD outlet and FID base. Heat is provided by a pair of cartridge heaters and controlled by a temperature controller. Hydrogen for the reduction can be provided either by adding it via a tee at the inlet to the catalyst (preferred), or by using hydrogen as carrier gas.

Saffron is not all of the same quality and strength. Strength is related to several factors, including age and the amount of yellow style picked relative to red stigma, as colour and flavour are concentrated in the latter. Saffron from Iran, Spain, and Kashmir is classified into various grades according to the proportion of stigma to style it contains. Grades of Iranian saffron are: sargol (Persian: سرگل, red stigma tips only, strongest grade), pushal or pushali (red stigmas plus some yellow style, lower strength), "bunch" saffron (red stigmas plus large amount of yellow style, presented in a tiny bundle like a miniature wheatsheaf) and konge (yellow style only, claimed to have aroma but with very little, if any, colouring potential). Grades of Spanish saffron are coupé (the strongest grade, like Iranian sargol), mancha (like Iranian pushal), and in order of further decreasing strength rio, standard and sierra saffron. The word mancha in the Spanish classification can have two meanings: a general grade of saffron or a very high quality Spanish-grown saffron from a specific geographical origin. Real Spanish-grown La Mancha saffron has PDO protected status, which is displayed on the product packaging. Spanish growers fought hard for Protected Status because they felt that imports of Iranian saffron re-packaged in Spain and sold as "Spanish Mancha saffron" were undermining the genuine La Mancha brand. Similar was the case in Kashmir where imported Iranian saffron is mixed with local saffron and sold as "Kashmir brand" at a higher price.

Human activities have caused population decreases or extinction in many bird species. Over a hundred bird species have gone extinct in historical times, although the most dramatic human-caused avian extinctions, eradicating an estimated 750–1800 species, occurred during the human colonisation of Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian islands. Many bird populations are declining worldwide, with 1,227 species listed as threatened by BirdLife International and the IUCN in 2009. There have been long-term declines in North American bird populations, with an estimated loss of 2.9 billion breeding adults, about 30% of the total, since 1970. The most commonly cited human threat to birds is habitat loss. Other threats include overhunting, collisions with buildings or vehicles, long-line fishing bycatch, pollution (including oil spills and pesticide use), competition and predation from nonnative invasive species, and climate change. Governments and conservation groups work to protect birds, either by passing laws that preserve and restore bird habitat or by establishing captive populations for reintroductions. Such projects have produced some successes; one study estimated that conservation efforts saved 16 species of bird that would otherwise have gone extinct between 1994 and 2004, including the California condor and Norfolk parakeet. Human activities have allowed the expansion of a few temperate area species, such as the barn swallow and European starling.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy of the United States estimates that only in that country, sales of narcotic drugs represent about 57,000 million dollars annually and most of these transactions are made in cash.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

== Function == The MT-TD gene encodes for a small transfer RNA (human mitochondrial map position 7518–7585) that transfers the amino acid aspartic acid to a growing polypeptide chain at the ribosome site of protein synthesis during translation.

Free movement of capital was traditionally seen as the fourth freedom, after goods, workers and persons, services and establishment. The original Treaty of Rome required that restrictions on free capital flows only be removed to the extent necessary for the common market. From the Treaty of Maastricht, now in TFEU article 63, "all restrictions on the movement of capital between Member States and between Member States and third countries shall be prohibited". This means capital controls of various kinds are prohibited, including limits on buying currency, limits on buying company shares or financial assets, or government approval requirements for foreign investment. By contrast, taxation of capital, including corporate tax, capital gains tax and Financial transaction tax are not affected so long as they do not discriminate by nationality. According to the Capital Movement Directive 1988, Annex I, 13 categories of capital which must move free are covered. In Baars v Inspecteur der Belastingen Particulieren the Court of Justice held that for investments in companies, the capital rules, rather than freedom of establishment rules, were engaged if an investment did not enable a "definite influence" through shareholder voting or other rights by the investor. That case held a Dutch Wealth Tax Act 1964 unjustifiably exempted Dutch investments, but not Mr Baars' investments in an Irish company, from the tax: the wealth tax, or exemptions, had to be applied equally.

===== Cuba ===== On 15 September, Lula and four of his cabinet minister visited Cuba where they met with Cuban president and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel. During his visit, Lula also attended a summit of the Group of 77 plus China in Havana where he lamented the United States embargo against Cuba stating that the island "is the victim of an illegal economic embargo, Brazil is against any unilateral coercive measure". Lula also criticized the inclusion of Cuba in the US list of states sponsors of terrorism.

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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