Aspartimide 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 2026-05-29. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Published work on this compound consists mainly of in vitro experiments, animal studies, and small clinical investigations, a substantial share of which appeared in Russian-language journals. Sample sizes are generally small, control conditions differ between studies, and several endpoints rely on markers whose clinical meaning is itself debated. Reviews of the longevity field treat the peptide as an early example of telomerase-directed research rather than an established intervention. Regulatory treatment varies by country: some jurisdictions place it under prescription controls, others treat it as a laboratory material, and importation may be restricted regardless of local status.
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.
Because epitalon has no pharmacopoeial monograph, quality assessment depends on supplier documentation and independent testing. Certificates of analysis typically report a purity figure from a single chromatographic run, a measured mass and sometimes an appearance description, but methods and acceptance criteria are not harmonised across vendors. Third-party laboratories can repeat identity and purity measurements, and mismatches between labelled and measured peptide content have been described for research peptides generally. What constitutes adequate identity confirmation for a molecule of this size stays an open question, since mass agreement alone does not separate closely related sequences.
Identity testing for epitalon relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for purity and mass spectrometry for mass confirmation. Because the sequence contains no tryptophan or tyrosine, ultraviolet detection at 280 nanometres is insensitive, so chromatographic methods usually monitor absorbance near 214 nanometres, where the peptide backbone absorbs. Electrospray ionisation or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation then checks the intact mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Peptide mapping or amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis can supplement these measurements, although such confirmatory work is seldom reported on commercial certificates of analysis.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peptide sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Often abbreviated AEDG in research literature |
| Common synonyms | Epithalon, epitalon, AEDG | Spelling variants refer to the same tetrapeptide |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Theoretical monoisotopic mass near 390.35 Da |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typically supplied as a lyophilised solid |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Hydrophilic peptide; dissolves in aqueous buffer |
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.
Regulatory treatment differs by country. No formulation of epitalon holds a marketing authorisation as a medicine in the United States or the European Union, where material sold for laboratory use is handled as a research chemical and is not intended for human consumption. In Russia, several short peptide preparations from the same institute's peptide series are registered medicinal products, and epitalon appears in that national context. Elsewhere it is frequently offered as a cosmetic ingredient, a category with lighter requirements. Advertising claims about longevity or disease prevention are restricted in most jurisdictions, which limits how sellers describe the compound.
Freeze-dried epitalon is normally kept at minus twenty degrees Celsius in a sealed, desiccated container, protected from light. Short excursions at ambient temperature during shipping are generally tolerated, but repeated warming and cooling cycles encourage moisture uptake, which shortens shelf life. Once dissolved, the peptide is far less stable than the solid: aqueous solutions are subject to hydrolysis and to deamidation at the aspartate and glutamate residues. Working solutions are therefore held refrigerated and used within days, and repeated freezing and thawing of the same vial is best avoided.
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.
Identity confirmation uses mass spectrometry, usually electrospray ionisation in positive mode or matrix-assisted laser desorption. The protonated free peptide produces a signal near three hundred and ninety-one daltons, while salt adducts shift that value slightly. Tandem mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis supplies sequence-level confirmation, which a single mass measurement cannot. Peptides containing aspartate can cyclise into succinimide intermediates that hydrolyse to isoaspartate isomers of identical mass. Because those isomers are difficult to separate chromatographically, identity and purity results carry more weight when interpreted together.
Storage practice centres on limiting moisture, oxygen, and repeated temperature cycling. Freeze-dried powder is generally held desiccated at minus twenty degrees Celsius or colder and protected from light. Reconstituted solutions are markedly less stable, and the aspartate-glycine junction is prone to succinimide formation at neutral to mildly alkaline pH. Portioning material into single-use aliquots reduces degradation compared with repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Stability data specific to this tetrapeptide remain scarce, so most handling guidance is extrapolated from general peptide chemistry rather than measured directly.
Documentation accompanying research peptides usually includes a certificate of analysis listing the batch number, purity figure, and test methods applied. Buyers comparing suppliers should check whether the reported purity refers to chromatographic area or to a mass-balance calculation, because the two are not equivalent. Counter-ion content, residual solvents, and water content are sometimes omitted from such certificates even though they affect the actual peptide mass present. Independent verification through a second laboratory is the most direct way to confirm that a supplied material matches its label.
== Shotgun proteomics == Modern tandem mass spectrometry (MS) instruments combine features of fast duty cycle, exquisite sensitivity, and unprecedented mass accuracy. Tandem mass spectrometry, which is an ideal match for the large-scale protein identification and quantification in complex biological systems. In a shotgun proteomics approach, proteins in a complex mixture are digested by proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin. Subsequently, one or more chromatographic separations are applied to resolve resulting peptides, which are then ionized and analyzed in a mass spectrometer. To acquire tandem mass spectra, a particular peptide precursor is isolated, and fragmented in a mass spectrometer; the mass spectra corresponding to the fragments of peptide precursor is recorded. Tandem mass spectra contains specific information regarding the sequence of the peptide precursor, which can aid the identification of the peptide/protein.
. This analysis shows that the end product of a linear, irreversible reaction network has an isotopic composition determined solely by the composition of the starting material and the KIE of the first reaction in the network.
=== Music === Over the years, the Bowery has been mentioned in the lyrics of a number of songs, including the Bob Dylan song "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream", from the album Bringing It All Back Home (1965): "I walked by a Guernsey cow / Who directed me down / To the Bowery slums / Where people carried signs around / Saying, 'Ban the bums.'" Exuma, Bahamian folk singer and then resident of New York City has a song called "The Bowery" in his 1971 album Doo Wah Nanny. It describes the place as a "skid row". The street has also been mentioned in songs by William Ryan Key of Yellowcard, Cockney Rebel, Broken Bells, They Might Be Giants, Nick Cave, Willie Nile, Jim Croce, Regina Spektor, Dire Straits, Bill Callahan, Saint Etienne the Vancouver Twee pop band cub, Sonic Youth, Two Gallants, Steve Earle, Beastie Boys, Paul McDermott, Billy Joel, The Decemberists, Tom Waits, Ryan Adams, The Clash, the Ramones, Fear, Jesse Malin and The Foetus All-Nude Revue, The Lumineers, Earlimart, Deerhunter, Local Natives, Smog, Blood Orange, The Antlers, Lady Gaga, Blossoms, Charli XCX, Kygo, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, Conor Oberst, Stephin Merritt, Dermot Kennedy, Chelsea Cutler and Black Thought among others. Rock band Bowery Electric's name was originated by Lawrence Chandler while residing in the area.
== How it works == This method relies on phase separation by centrifugation of a mixture of the aqueous sample and a solution containing water-saturated phenol and chloroform, resulting in an upper aqueous phase and a lower organic phase (mainly phenol). Guanidinium thiocyanate, a chaotropic agent, is added to the organic phase to aid in the denaturation of proteins (such as those that strongly bind nucleic acids or those that degrade RNA). The nucleic acids (RNA and/or DNA) partition into the aqueous phase, while protein partitions into the organic phase. The pH of the mixture determines which nucleic acids get purified. Under acidic conditions (pH 4-6), DNA partitions into the organic phase while RNA remains in the aqueous phase. Under neutral conditions (pH 7-8), both DNA and RNA partition into the aqueous phase. In a last step, the nucleic acids are recovered from the aqueous phase by precipitation with 2-propanol. The 2-propanol is then washed with ethanol and the pellet briefly air-dried and dissolved in TE buffer or RNAse free water. Guanidinium thiocyanate denatures proteins, including RNases, and separates rRNA from ribosomal proteins, while phenol, isopropanol and water are solvents with poor solubility. In the presence of chloroform or BCP (bromochloropropane), these solvents separate entirely into two phases that are recognized by their color: a clear, upper aqueous phase (containing the nucleic acids) and a lower phase (containing the proteins dissolved in phenol and the lipids dissolved in chloroform).
=== Anti-cancer === There are two primary mTOR inhibitors used in the treatment of human cancers, temsirolimus and everolimus. mTOR inhibitors have found use in the treatment of a variety of malignancies, including renal cell carcinoma (temsirolimus) and pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and renal cell carcinoma (everolimus). The complete mechanism of these agents is not clear, but they are thought to function by impairing tumour angiogenesis and causing impairment of the G1/S transition.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Aristotle in Outline. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995. Simondon, Gilbert (2003). L’Individuation à la lumière des notions de forme et d’information [1958]. Paris: Jérôme Millon. Shields, Christopher. "A Fundamental Problem about Hylomorphism". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. 29 June 2009 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-psychology/suppl1.html>. Aristotle. London: Routledge, 2007. "Some Recent Approaches to Aristotle's De Anima". De Anima: Books II and III (With Passages From Book I). Trans. W.D. Hamlyn. Oxford: Clarendon, 1993. 157–81. "Soul as Subject in Aristotle's De Anima". Classical Quarterly 38.1 (1988): 140–49. Stump, Eleanore. "Non-Cartesian Substance Dualism and Materialism without Reductionism." Faith and Philosophy 12.4 (October 1995): 505–31. "Resurrection, Reassembly, and Reconstitution: Aquinas on the Soul." Die Menschliche Seele: Brauchen Wir Den Dualismus. Ed. B. Niederbacher and E. Runggaldier. Frankfurt, 2006. 151–72. Vella, John. Aristotle: A Guide for the Perplexed. NY: Continuum, 2008. M.Tiziana Mayer. Menahem da Recanati. Commento alla Genesi: Gn. 1.1-16. Aquilegia Edizioni. Milano, 2005
== Non-senescence == Daniel Martinez claimed in an article in Experimental Gerontology in 1998 that Hydra are biologically immortal. This publication has been widely cited as evidence that Hydra do not senesce (i.e., do not age), and that they are proof of the existence of non-senescing organisms generally. The controversial unlimited lifespan of Hydra has attracted much attention from scientists. In 2010, Preston Estep published (also in Experimental Gerontology) a letter to the editor arguing that the Martinez data refutes the hypothesis that Hydra do not senesce. Other research from the 2010s appears to confirm Martinez's study by finding Hydra stem cells have a capacity for indefinite self-renewal. The transcription factor "forkhead box O" (FoxO) has been identified as a critical driver of the continuous self-renewal of Hydra. In experiments, a drastically reduced population growth resulted from FoxO downregulation. In bilaterally symmetrical organisms (Bilateria), the transcription factor FoxO affects stress response, lifespan, and increase in stem cells. If this transcription factor is knocked down in bilaterian model organisms, such as fruit flies and nematodes, their lifespan is significantly decreased. In experiments on H. vulgaris (a radially symmetrical member of phylum Cnidaria), when FoxO levels were decreased, there was a negative effect on many key features of the Hydra, but no death was observed, thus it is believed other factors may contribute to the apparent lack of aging in these creatures.
=== Occupational monitoring === A medical surveillance program must be established. In case of exposure, occupational health professionals need to ask for a detailed history and do a thorough physical exam. They should test the urine of the potentially exposed worker by doing a urine dipstick or microscopic examination, mainly looking for blood, as several antineoplastic drugs are known to cause bladder damage. Urinary mutagenicity is a marker of exposure to antineoplastic drugs that was first used by Falck and colleagues in 1979 and uses bacterial mutagenicity assays. Apart from being nonspecific, the test can be influenced by extraneous factors such as dietary intake and smoking and is, therefore, used sparingly. However, the test played a significant role in changing the use of horizontal flow cabinets to vertical flow biological safety cabinets during the preparation of antineoplastic drugs because the former exposed health care workers to high levels of drugs. This changed the handling of drugs and effectively reduced workers' exposure to antineoplastic drugs. Biomarkers of exposure to antineoplastic drugs commonly include urinary platinum, methotrexate, urinary cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide, and urinary metabolite of 5-fluorouracil. In addition to this, there are other drugs used to measure the drugs directly in the urine, although they are rarely used. A measurement of these drugs directly in one's urine is a sign of high exposure levels and that an uptake of the drugs is happening either through inhalation or dermally.
== Products == In terms of molecular structure, one distinguishes first between low-molecular-weight (LMW) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) products. The generally accepted threshold between LMW and HMW is a molecular weight of about 700 g/mol. LMW fine chemicals, also designated as small molecules, are produced by traditional chemical synthesis, by microorganisms (through fermentation or biotransformation), or by extraction from plants and animals. In the production of modern life science products, total synthesis from petrochemicals prevails. HMW products, or large molecules, are obtained mainly through biotechnology processes. Within LMWs, the N-heterocyclic compounds are the most important category; within HMWs, it is peptides and proteins.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== History == The first description of phenylalanine was made in 1879, when Schulze and Barbieri identified a compound with the empirical formula, C9H11NO2, in yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus) seedlings. In 1882, Erlenmeyer and Lipp first synthesized phenylalanine from phenylacetaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The genetic codon for phenylalanine was first discovered by J. Heinrich Matthaei and Marshall W. Nirenberg in 1961. They showed that by using mRNA to insert multiple uracil repeats into the genome of the bacterium E. coli, they could cause the bacterium to produce a polypeptide consisting solely of repeated phenylalanine amino acids. This discovery helped to establish the nature of the coding relationship that links information stored in genomic nucleic acid with protein expression in the living cell.
Hangman's Chair initially drew inspiration from "old Paris", particularly from neighbourhoods like Barbès, Ménilmontant and Pigalle. However, 2018's Banlieue Triste focused on the suburbs where they grew up. During the era of This Is Not Supposed To Be Positive (2015), they cited Alice in Chains as an influence. They also cited Eyehategod, Neglect, Only Living Witness, Section 8, Starkweather and Temple of the Dog as inspirations. "Our influences remain very broad", said Thépegnier, the band acknowledging that they listened to very little metal, but a lot of neofolk, such as Der Blutharsch and Blood Axis, as well as a lot of hip-hop. Olivier Drago of the print magazine New Noise wrote that the band incorporated cold wave and gothic rock influences into This Is Not Supposed To Be Positive. Over time, they developed an affinity for 1980s bands, such as the Sound, who became their musical influences when creating 2022's A Loner. Their influences include 1980s post-punk, Asylum Party, Nothing, Sad Lovers & Giants, Slowdive, Soft Kill, the Cure, and Failure. Chanut was musically influenced by the Sound's From the Lions Mouth and its lyrics by Adrian Borland when composing A Loner. For the sound of his electric guitar on this album, he cited Slip by Quicksand and Brighter Than a Thousand Suns by Killing Joke for guitar effects. They produced "richer music" on A Loner by taking their original doom metal as a starting point and incorporating more varied influences, with David writing that it was "without ever falling into pastiche or clumsy citation".
=== Malicious contributions on Wikipedia === In September 2011, Hari admitted that he had edited articles on Wikipedia about himself and journalists with whom he had had disputes. Using a sock puppet account under the name "David r from meth productions", he added false and defamatory claims to articles about journalists including Nick Cohen, Cristina Odone, Francis Wheen, Andrew Roberts, Niall Ferguson and Oliver Kamm, and edited the article about himself "to make him seem one of the essential writers of our times". In July 2011, Cohen wrote about the suspicious Wikipedia editing in The Spectator, prompting the New Statesman journalist David Allen Green to compile evidence that Hari used the identity "David Rose" to pretend to be an editor who was qualified in environmental science. This led to an investigation by the Wikipedia community and "David Rose" was blocked from Wikipedia. Hari published an apology in The Independent, admitting that he had been "David Rose" and writing: "I edited the entries of people I had clashed with in ways that were juvenile or malicious: I called one of them anti-Semitic and homophobic, and the other a drunk. I am mortified to have done this, because it breaches the most basic ethical rule: don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you. I apologise to the latter group unreservedly and totally."
=== Transdermal and topical === A topical gel formulation of progesterone, for direct application to the breasts as a local therapy for breast disorders such as breast pain, was introduced under the brand name Progestogel in Europe by 1972. No transdermal formulations of progesterone for systemic use have been successfully marketed, in spite of efforts of pharmaceutical companies towards this goal. The low potency of transdermal progesterone has thus far precluded it as a possibility. Although no formulations of transdermal progesterone are approved for systemic use, transdermal progesterone is available in the form of creams and gels from custom compounding pharmacies in some countries, and is also available over-the-counter without a prescription in the United States. However, these preparations are unregulated and have not been adequately characterized, with low and unsubstantiated effectiveness.
As of 2021, the largest producers of milk powder are New Zealand, China, Argentina and Brazil. European production of milk powder in fiscal year 2019–2020 was estimated at around 3.0 million tonnes of which the main volume was exported in bulk packing or consumer packs. Australia also has a significant milk powder export industry, exporting over 13,000 tonnes of skim and whole milk powder in fiscal year 2020–2021, to a value of approximately AUD $83 000 000. Brands on the market include Nido, from the company Nestlé, Incolac from the company Milcobel, Dutch Lady from FrieslandCampina and Puck from Arla Foods. Some of the largest businesses in the industry are Nestlé, Danone, Lactalis, Fonterra, FrieslandCampina, Dean Foods, Arla Foods, Dairy Farmers of America, Kraft Foods, Saputo, and Parmalat.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, also written AEDG. It was developed in Russian gerontology research and is studied for proposed effects on telomerase, melatonin regulation, and neuroendocrine function. It is not an approved pharmaceutical in the United States or the European Union.
No. Epithalamin is a peptide-rich extract prepared from bovine pineal glands, while epitalon is a short synthetic peptide designed as a defined analogue of it. The synthetic version was intended to provide a reproducible molecule with some of the same proposed biological activity.
Telomere elongation and telomerase activation have been reported in cultured human somatic cells, but evidence from living human subjects is limited and has not been independently confirmed at scale. Reported findings come largely from small studies with differing designs, so the question remains open rather than settled.
The molecule lacks aromatic residues, so it absorbs weakly near 280 nanometres, the wavelength applied to many other peptides. The peptide bond absorbs strongly below 220 nanometres, making 214 nanometres a practical compromise. Gradient methods must therefore use mobile phases with low ultraviolet absorbance to keep the baseline clean.