This is a working overview of HPLC purity, written for readers who want more than a one-paragraph summary but less than a textbook.
Reviewed 2026-04-06. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its calculated monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons. The compound does not occur naturally as a free peptide; it is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Because it contains two acidic residues and no basic residues, the neutral form carries a net negative charge at physiological pH. This charge profile influences how the peptide behaves in solution and during chromatographic analysis.
Laboratory-grade epitalon is typically supplied as a lyophilized powder. Purity is commonly assessed with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often paired with mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can provide additional confirmation of sequence. Certificates of analysis for research materials frequently report purity above 95 percent, although the methods behind such figures vary between suppliers. The absence of a pharmacopeial monograph means that no single standardized assay defines the compound, so reported results depend on the analytical protocol chosen.
Storage recommendations center on limiting moisture, heat, and light. The dry powder is generally kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and some suppliers recommend minus 80 degrees for long-term archival. Once dissolved, solutions are usually aliquoted and frozen to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which can promote aggregation or degradation. Aqueous stability depends on pH and concentration, and buffered saline is often preferred over plain water for biological work. Stability data specific to epitalon remain limited, so general peptide-handling practices are applied by analogy rather than from product-specific validation.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Free acid form of the tetrapeptide |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 Da | Calculated monoisotopic value |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized presentation |
| Solubility | Soluble in water | Also dissolves in buffered saline |
| Storage temperature | Minus 20 degrees Celsius | Dry, dark conditions; avoid repeated thawing |
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.
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.
Most experimental work has been carried out in cell culture and animal models. Several reports describe changes in telomerase activity and proliferation in cultured cells, while rodent studies have examined lifespan, melatonin rhythm and reproductive endpoints. Human data remain limited, and much of the published clinical material consists of small trials with incomplete reporting of methods and controls. Whether the cell and animal findings translate into measurable effects in people is an open question, and the mechanistic basis of the reported telomerase changes is not fully established.
Discussions in the literature often conflate three distinct entities: the pineal extract epithalamin, the isolated tetrapeptide AEDG, and commercial preparations sold under similar names. Reviews citing older Russian-language studies sometimes omit detail on purity, route of administration and control groups, which makes cross-study comparison difficult. Researchers working with the compound generally note the need for independent replication, standardized enzyme assays, and clearer reporting of peptide identity. These caveats are relevant when weighing claims that appear in secondary sources rather than in primary reports.
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.
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.
Soon after settling into his new home on Riverside Drive, Adorno met with Lazarsfeld in Newark, New Jersey, to discuss the Project's plans for investigating the impact of broadcast music. Although he was expected to embed the Project's research within a wider theoretical context, it soon became apparent that the Project was primarily concerned with data collection to be used by administrators for establishing whether groups of listeners could be targeted by broadcasts specifically aimed at them. Expected to make use of devices with which listeners could press a button to indicate whether they liked or disliked a particular piece of music, Adorno bristled with distaste and astonishment: "I reflected that culture was simply the condition that precluded a mentality that tried to measure it." Thus, Adorno suggested using individual interviews to determine listener reactions and, only three months after meeting Lazarsfeld, completed a 160-page memorandum on the Project's topic, "Music in Radio." Adorno was primarily interested in how musical material was affected by its distribution through the medium of radio and thought it imperative to understand how music was affected by its becoming part of daily life.
=== MeSH D12.644.548 – peptide hormones === MeSH D12.644.548.009 – activins MeSH D12.644.548.009.500 – inhibin-beta subunits MeSH D12.644.548.014 – adiponectin MeSH D12.644.548.020 – atrial natriuretic factor MeSH D12.644.548.100 – bombesin MeSH D12.644.548.150 – calcitonin MeSH D12.644.548.200 – corticotropin-releasing hormone MeSH D12.644.548.275 – gastric inhibitory polypeptide MeSH D12.644.548.280 – gastrins MeSH D12.644.548.343 – glucagon precursors MeSH D12.644.548.343.249 – enteroglucagons MeSH D12.644.548.343.249.500 – glucagon-like peptide 1 MeSH D12.644.548.343.500 – glucagon MeSH D12.644.548.387 – inhibins MeSH D12.644.548.387.500 – inhibin-beta subunits MeSH D12.644.548.393 – insulin MeSH D12.644.548.393.408 – insulin, isophane MeSH D12.644.548.393.532 – insulin, long-acting MeSH D12.644.548.393.788 – proinsulin MeSH D12.644.548.393.788.250 – c-peptide MeSH D12.644.548.400 – leptin MeSH D12.644.548.500 – motilin MeSH D12.644.548.560 – msh release-inhibiting hormone MeSH D12.644.548.580 – msh-releasing hormone MeSH D12.644.548.585 – natriuretic peptide, c-type MeSH D12.644.548.587 – pancreatic polypeptide MeSH D12.644.548.588 – parathyroid hormone-related protein MeSH D12.644.548.590 – parathyroid hormone MeSH D12.644.548.590.850 – teriparatide MeSH D12.644.548.592 – peptide phi MeSH D12.644.548.595 – peptide yy MeSH D12.644.548.600 – pituitary hormone release inhibiting hormones MeSH D12.644.548.620 – pituitary hormone-releasing hormones MeSH D12.644.548.691 – pituitary hormones MeSH D12.644.548.691.525 – pituitary hormones, anterior MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343 – gonadotropins, pituitary MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.288 – follicle stimulating hormone MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.288.500 – follicle stimulating hormone, beta subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.288.750 – glycoprotein hormones, alpha subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.463 – luteinizing hormone MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.463.249 – glycoprotein hormones, alpha subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.463.500 – luteinizing hormone, beta subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.583 – menotropins MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.343.583.500 – urofollitropin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.425 – growth hormone MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.425.875 – human growth hormone MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.525 – prolactin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690 – pro-opiomelanocortin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.130 – corticotropin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.130.050 – alpha-msh MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.130.200 – cosyntropin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.480 – lipotropin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.583 – melanocyte-stimulating hormones MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.583.050 – alpha-msh MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.583.075 – beta-msh MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.690.583.115 – gamma-msh MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.883 – thyrotropin MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.883.249 – glycoprotein hormones, alpha subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.525.883.500 – thyrotropin, beta subunit MeSH D12.644.548.691.692 – pituitary hormones, posterior MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.433 – oxytocin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781 – vasopressins MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781.100 – argipressin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781.100.250 – deamino arginine vasopressin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781.400 – lypressin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781.400.350 – felypressin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.781.700 – ornipressin MeSH D12.644.548.691.692.881 – vasotocin MeSH D12.644.548.726 – placental hormones MeSH D12.644.548.726.367 – chorionic gonadotropin MeSH D12.644.548.726.367.125 – chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit, human MeSH D12.644.548.726.367.562 – glycoprotein hormones, alpha subunit MeSH D12.644.548.726.451 – gonadotropins, equine MeSH D12.644.548.726.692 – placental lactogen MeSH D12.644.548.762 – relaxin MeSH D12.644.548.786 – resistin MeSH D12.644.548.810 – secretin MeSH D12.644.548.857 – somatostatin MeSH D12.644.548.869 – thymosin MeSH D12.644.548.905 – urotensins MeSH D12.644.548.952 – vasoactive intestinal peptide
Some have argued that it has common features with other self-diagnosed "mystery syndromes" such as Morgellons or multiple chemical sensitivity, while others, including some in the biomedical research community, have concluded based on the available evidence that it represents a real and serious condition. There is no known underlying biological mechanism for the proposed syndrome, and its incidence is unclear. A lack of clear diagnostic criteria and the variable reporting fraction in different healthcare settings make the problem challenging to evaluate. In 2016 Merck was a defendant in approximately 1,370 product liability lawsuits which had been filed by customers alleging they had experienced persistent sexual side-effects following cessation of treatment with finasteride. Most cases had been settled by 2018, when Merck paid a lump sum of US$4.3 million to be distributed. As of September 2019, 25 cases remained outstanding in the United States. In 2019, Reuters reported that faulty redactions in court documents revealed allegations from plaintiffs that Merck had known of persistent side effects in their original clinical trials but chose not to disclose them in warning labels.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
==== Immunological biosensor ==== Gold nanoparticles have been coated with peptides and glycans for use in immunological detection methods. The possibility to use glyconanoparticles in ELISA was unexpected, but the method seems to have a high sensitivity and thus offers potential for development of specific assays for diagnostic identification of antibodies in patient sera.
Jamal al-Husayni Tewfiq al-Husayni Yusif Sahyun Kamil al-Dajani Emile al-Ghury Rafiq al-Tamimi and Anwar al-Khatib (all members of or affiliated with the Palestine Arab Party) Izzat Tannous (an independent Christian medical doctor) Antone Attallah (a member of the Greek Orthodox community) Ahmad al-Shukayri (a lawyer from Acre and an Arab nationalist) Sami Taha – head of Palestine Arab Workers Society Yousef Haikal (the mayor of Jaffa, who was politically independent) The Istiqlal Party and other nationalist groups objected to these moves, and formed a rival Arab Higher Front. In May 1946, the Arab League ordered the dissolution of the AHC and Arab Higher Front and formed a five-member Arab Higher Executive, under Amin al-Husayni's chairmanship, and based in Cairo. The new AHE consisted of:
=== Toxicity === Although selenium is an essential trace element, it is toxic if taken in excess. Exceeding the Tolerable Upper Intake Level of 400 micrograms per day can lead to selenosis. This 400 microgram (μg) Tolerable Upper Intake Level is based primarily on a 1986 study of five Chinese patients who exhibited overt signs of selenosis and a follow-up study on the same five people in 1992. The 1992 study actually found the maximum safe dietary Se intake to be approximately 800 micrograms per day (15 micrograms per kilogram body weight), but suggested 400 micrograms per day to not only avoid toxicity, but also to avoid creating an imbalance of nutrients in the diet and to account for data from other countries. In China, people who ingested corn grown in extremely selenium-rich stony coal (carbonaceous shale) have suffered from selenium toxicity. This coal was shown to have selenium content as high as 9.1%, the highest concentration in coal ever recorded in literature. Symptoms of selenosis include a garlic odor on the breath, gastrointestinal disorders, hair loss, sloughing of nails, fatigue, irritability, and neurological damage. Extreme cases of selenosis can result in cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary edema, and death. Elemental selenium and most metallic selenides have relatively low toxicities because of their low bioavailability. By contrast, selenates and selenites are very toxic, having an oxidant mode of action similar to that of arsenic trioxide. The chronic toxic dose of selenite for humans is about 2400 to 3000 micrograms of selenium per day for a long time.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide built from four amino acids: alanine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine. It is not extracted from a natural source but made in the laboratory by chemical synthesis. Its short length makes it relatively straightforward to produce at high purity.
No naturally occurring free form of the peptide has been described. The four-amino-acid sequence can appear as a fragment within larger proteins, but that is not the same as the intact compound being present as a circulating molecule. Materials used in research are synthetic.
Purity is usually checked by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, which separates the target peptide from related impurities. Mass spectrometry is commonly used alongside it to confirm molecular mass. Some suppliers also provide amino acid analysis for additional sequence confirmation.
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.