The short version of epithalamin fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-11 and is reviewed periodically as new material appears.
Chemically, the molecule consists of four amino acid residues joined by three peptide bonds, with a free N-terminal amino group and a free C-terminal carboxyl group. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 390 daltons. The acidic glutamate and aspartate side chains give the peptide a net negative charge near neutral pH, a property that shapes its chromatographic behaviour and solubility profile. No disulfide bridges or other post-translational modifications are present, so the primary sequence alone defines the structure.
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.
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.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical class | Linear tetrapeptide | Four residues joined by three peptide bonds |
| Sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Commonly abbreviated AEDG |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Free acid form |
| Monoisotopic mass | Approximately 390 Da | Matches values reported from mass spectrometry |
| Net charge near neutral pH | Negative | Contributed by glutamate and aspartate side chains |
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Caryophyllene (C15H24) → caryophyllene oxide (C15H24O) → 14-hydroxycaryophyllene (C15H24O) → 14-hydroxycaryophyllene oxide (C15H24O2). Caryophyllene oxide, in which the alkene group of caryophyllene has become an epoxide, is the component responsible for cannabis identification by drug-sniffing dogs and is also an approved food additive, often as flavoring. Caryophyllene oxide may have negligible cannabinoid activity.
Smooth muscle is involuntary and non-striated. It is divided into two subgroups: the single-unit (unitary) and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit cells, the whole bundle or sheet contracts as a syncytium (i.e. a multinucleate mass of cytoplasm that is not separated into cells). Multiunit smooth muscle tissues innervate individual cells; as such, they allow for fine control and gradual responses, much like motor unit recruitment in skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found within the walls of blood vessels (such smooth muscle specifically being termed vascular smooth muscle) such as in the tunica media layer of the large (aorta) and small arteries, arterioles and veins. Smooth muscle is also found in lymphatic vessels, the urinary bladder, uterus (termed uterine smooth muscle), male and female reproductive tracts, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract, the arrector pili of skin, the ciliary muscle, and the iris of the eye. The structure and function is basically the same in smooth muscle cells in different organs, but the inducing stimuli differ substantially, in order to perform individual actions in the body at individual times. In addition, the glomeruli of the kidneys contain smooth muscle-like cells called mesangial cells.
Agonist of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and to a far lesser extent of the δ-opioid receptor (DOR) and κ-opioid receptor (KOR) Serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; hence, an SNRI Serotonin 5-HT2C receptor antagonist M1 and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist NMDA receptor antagonist (very weak) TRPA1 inhibitor Tramadol acts on the opioid receptors through its major active metabolite desmetramadol, which has as much as 700-fold higher affinity for the MOR relative to tramadol. Moreover, tramadol itself has been found to possess no efficacy in activating the MOR in functional activity assays, whereas desmetramadol activates the receptor with high intrinsic activity (Emax equal to that of morphine). As such, desmetramadol is exclusively responsible for the opioid effects of tramadol. Both tramadol and desmetramadol have pronounced selectivity for the MOR over the DOR and KOR in terms of binding affinity. Tramadol is well-established as an SRI. In addition, a few studies have found that it also acts as a serotonin releasing agent (1–10 μM), similar in effect to fenfluramine. The serotonin releasing effects of tramadol could be blocked by sufficiently high concentrations of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor 6-nitroquipazine, which is in accordance with other serotonin releasing agents such as fenfluramine and MDMA. However, two more recent studies failed to find a releasing effect of tramadol at respective concentrations up to 10 and 30 μM.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Biofuels === Recombinant technology has also played a role in biofuel development. This has been explored using expression systems found in bacteria, plants, and yeast. Specifically, the heterologous expression of cellulase enzymes utilizes cellulose, the most abundant raw material worldwide. Cellulolytic enzymes are found in plants, insects, bacteria, and fungi, which assist in the conversion of biomass to biofuel. Specifically, Cellulose is hydrolyzed to form sugar molecules. For example, the manipulation of cellular expression levels in cellulolytic enzymes is necessary in fungal hosts in order to overcome degradation. However, bioprocessing has proved difficult in forming high-yield proteins and requires the incorporation of other enzymes. Various microbial strains can be combined to express enzymes that result in a total increase of enzyme yield on an economically viable scale.
Short-acting psychedelics like DMT and 5-MeO-DMT show rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression, potentially offering a more scalable alternative to psilocybin, though larger controlled trials are needed to confirm efficacy. A recent Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antidepressant effects of SPL026, an intravenous formulation of DMT fumarate, in both healthy volunteers and patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, using randomized, placebo-controlled and open-label dosing protocols. It found that inhaled 5-MeO-DMT (GH001) was well tolerated and produced rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression, with individualized dosing showing the highest remission rates. A Phase 1 open-label study assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of intravenous SPL026 alone or combined with SSRIs in patients with major depressive disorder whose symptoms were not fully relieved by SSRIs. In a Phase 2a open-label trial, inhaled DMT produced rapid, well-tolerated, and sustained antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression, showing high response and remission rates within 7 days and lasting up to 3 months. A single-day, open-label trial found that vaporized DMT produced rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression, with up to 50% of participants maintaining remission one month post-dose.
== Structure == Alpha 2-antiplasmin (α2AP) is a member of the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily and is structurally characterized by a central serpin domain flanked by unique N- and C-terminal extensions. The mature human α2AP protein consists of 452 amino acids, with a 12-residue N-terminus, a central serpin domain, and a C-terminal tail of approximately 55 residues. The reactive center loop, which is crucial for its inhibitory function, protrudes from the central serpin domain and contains the Arg364-Met365 peptide bond that is specifically targeted and cleaved by plasmin. There are two main circulating forms: Met-α2AP, which has methionine at the N-terminus, and Asn-α2AP, which is N-terminally shortened and starts with asparagine; the latter form constitutes about 70% of plasma α2AP and is more efficiently cross-linked to fibrin. The C-terminal region, rich in lysine residues, mediates the initial non-covalent binding to plasmin, facilitating the formation of a stable 1:1 stoichiometric complex. This structural arrangement allows α2AP to efficiently interact with plasmin and be incorporated into fibrin clots via cross-linking by factor XIIIa.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, often abbreviated AEDG. The molecule is linear and contains no modified residues, so it is fully described by its sequence.
The compound came out of work on epithalamin, a peptide preparation derived from pineal tissue, conducted largely in Russian laboratories. Later studies in other countries examined it mainly in cell cultures and animal models.
The tetrapeptide sequence is a synthetic construct rather than a described circulating peptide. It was derived by analogy to peptide fractions obtained from tissue extracts, not isolated from blood or tissue as such.
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.