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Peptide Identity And Research Origin — Explained

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-05-13 · last reviewed 2026-06-25 · Wiki

AEDG peptide 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.

Last reviewed on 2026-06-25. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.

Peptide Identity and Research Origin

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.

Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.

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.

Identity and Research Background

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 at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Synthetic tetrapeptide, four residues
Nominal massApproximately 390 DaFree peptide; salt forms differ
AppearanceWhite to off-white powderCommonly supplied lyophilised
Solubility classFreely soluble in waterAlso dissolves in aqueous buffer
Typical storage−20 °C, desiccatedCold packs used during transport

Epitalon Background and Discovery

Published studies on epitalon are dominated by a small number of research groups, and independent replication in other laboratories remains limited. Proposed mechanisms include activation of telomerase and modulation of melatonin rhythms, but the evidence for either rests mainly on cell cultures and animal models. Whether the peptide produces comparable effects in humans is an open question, and the absence of large controlled trials means the literature is best read as exploratory rather than settled.

Epitalon is a synthetic four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9, and its calculated molar mass is approximately 390.35 grams per mole. The compound is a short fragment related to a peptide fraction isolated from bovine pineal gland extracts, and it is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder intended for laboratory research. It is not a registered pharmaceutical product in most countries.

The peptide emerged from research carried out in Saint Petersburg from the late 1980s onward, where investigators searched for shorter active fragments of a pineal preparation known as epithalamin. The name epitalon was chosen to reflect that parent extract. Early reports described effects on neuroendocrine markers and on the lifespan of laboratory animals. Much of that work appeared in Russian-language journals, with English translations following later, which affects how readily the original protocols can be assessed by outside groups.

Related pages on this site

Background and Proposed Mechanism

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.

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.

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.

Reference notes

== Implementation == The Carter Center, who was appointed as the independent observer of the agreement's implementations in 2017, stated that 22% of the accords' provisions were put into effect by 2017, and by 2020, that number had only increased to 23%. While the Malian Army was dispatched to Kidal as per the terms of the agreement, the troops never actually patrolled the city. Similarly, CMA fighters were sent to Gao under similar provisions. Part of the reason for the lack of implementation was the need for more willingness by the signatories to honor it. A March 2020 survey showed slightly over eighty percent of Malian civilians had little to no knowledge of the peace agreement. The CMA continued to exercise de facto control over the Kidal region, which the Malian government tolerated as Malian government control of the region would force the government to enact constitutional reforms upending the status quo.

After exposure, his hand was pale and cold; 30 minutes later the man presented himself to a doctor, with paresthesia in all fingers and the hand still pale and cold. An Allen's test showed a return to normal color after 60 seconds (normal is 5 seconds). By 60 minutes after exposure the hand was normal again, and the patient was discharged without treatment. A week later there was no paresthesia, motor weakness nor sensory deficit.

Bukele registered as a presidential pre-candidate on 26 June 2023 with Nuevas Ideas; Ulloa registered as Bukele's vice-presidential pre-candidate. Nuevas Ideas nominated Bukele and Ulloa as their presidential and vice-presidential candidates on 9 July. The party began registering Bukele and Ulloa's candidacies with the TSE on 26 October, the last day to do so. On 3 November 2023, the TSE registered their candidacies amidst opposition requests to reject Bukele's candidacy. On 30 November 2023, the Legislative Assembly granted Bukele and Ulloa leaves of absence to focus on their re-election campaign. The leave went into effect the following day and Bukele's presidential powers were suspended. The Legislative Assembly named Claudia Rodríguez de Guevara, Bukele's presidential secretary, as the presidential designate; Rodríguez was the first woman in Salvadoran history to hold presidential power. Her appointment was criticized by some lawyers and opposition politicians as unconstitutional. Including Bukele, there were six presidential candidates in the 2024 election. His primary opponents were ARENA's Joel Sánchez, a businessman, and the FMLN's Manuel Flores, a former legislator. Bukele led Sánchez and Flores by large margins in opinion polling before the election. Bukele promised to maintain the gang crackdown, invest in infrastructure projects, and promote economic growth during his second term. On 4 February 2024, he won re-election with 84.65 percent of the vote. Bukele was the first Salvadoran president to be re-elected since Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in 1944.

== Release == Episode One was sold in both retail stores and Valve's online Steam distribution system, where it was sold at a discount price. It was also distributed by Electronic Arts as a standalone release. It was available for pre-load and pre-purchase through Steam on May 1, 2006, with Half-Life Deathmatch: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch immediately available for play as part of the package. Episode One was rereleased in the compilation The Orange Box for Mac, PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. About 1.4 million retail copies of Episode One had been sold by 2008. In November 2024, Valve delisted Episode One and Episode Two from the Steam Store and incorporated them into Half-Life 2.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

=== Cannabis === Ford supports allowing licensed private retailers to sell cannabis, rather than a government monopoly like the LCBO. Ford opposed the legalization of recreational cannabis. On January 22, 2019, Huffington Post reported that Ford's youngest daughter Kyla, a bodybuilder and fitness trainer, had posted videos promoting health benefits of CBD oil, a cannabis product which typically does not contain the psychoactive compound present in marijuana. Various publications claimed Kyla's promotion wasn't lawful. Ford's daughter took down the posts, but neither Ford nor his daughter commented on them.

== History == GeneDx was founded in 2000 by scientists Sherri Bale and John Compton from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The company was established to provide clinical diagnostic services for patients and families with rare and ultra-rare disorders, for which limited commercial testing options existed at the time. The company started in the Technology Development Center, a biotech incubator supported by the state of Maryland and Montgomery County, MD. In 2006, GeneDx was acquired by BioReference Laboratories and continued to operate as a subsidiary. In October 2016, Benjamin D. Solomon was appointed as managing director. In 2021, Katherine Stueland became CEO of GeneDx. GeneDx was acquired by Sema4 in 2022, and Stueland was named CEO of the combined company. In 2023, the combined company underwent a strategic transformation, refocusing on whole exome and genome sequencing in pediatrics, and changed its name to GeneDx. In 2025 GeneDx was named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, ranked No.2 in the Biotech category. The recognition highlighted the company's work in advancing genomic sequencing and data-driven approaches to improve rare disease diagnosis. GeneDx settled a patent dispute with Myriad Genetics in February 2015 after GeneDx launched a BRCA mutation breast cancer genetic screening test following the US Supreme Court decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. that concluded isolated gene sequences were patent ineligible.

== Mass spectrometry techniques == Fragmentation can occur in the ion source (in-source fragmentation) where it has been used with electron ionization to help identify molecules and, recently (2020), with electrospray ionization it has been shown to provide the same benefit in facilitating molecular identification. Prior to these experiments, electrospray ionization in-source fragmentation was generally considered an undesired effect however, electrospray ionization using Enhanced In-Source Fragmentation/Annotation (EISA) has been shown to promote in-source fragmentation that creates fragment ions that are consistent with tandem mass spectrometers. Tandem mass spectrometry-generated fragmentation is typically made in the collision zone (post-source fragmentation) of a tandem mass spectrometer. EISA and collision-induced dissociation (CID) among other physical events that impact ions are a part of gas-phase ion chemistry.

==== Gas cycle ==== In a gas refrigeration cycle, the working fluid remains gaseous while it is compressed and expanded; unlike a vapor-compression cycle, it does not undergo condensation and evaporation. Air is commonly used as the working fluid in air-cycle refrigeration. In a basic air cycle, air is compressed, cooled in a heat exchanger, expanded to reduce its temperature, and then absorbs heat from the space or system being cooled. Air-cycle refrigeration is based on the reverse Brayton cycle. In aircraft systems, compressed air is cooled in a heat exchanger and then expanded through a turbine to produce refrigerated air. Reverse-Brayton air refrigeration generally has a lower coefficient of performance than conventional vapor-compression refrigeration, although its low mass, compactness and reliability make it suitable for aircraft environmental-control applications. Air-cycle refrigeration is the predominant method of air conditioning in commercial and military aircraft. In conventional bleed-air systems, air supplied from a gas-turbine engine compressor is cooled and expanded in an air cycle machine before being supplied to the aircraft environmental-control system. Air-cycle machines typically combine a turbine with a compressor, fan, or both. Some newer aircraft instead use electrically powered bleedless air-cycle systems.

=== Sweden === The Swedish Armed Forces use ration packs from the Swedish-developed 24 hour meals. 24 hour meals have a long range of menus (approx. 200) and can deliver both freezedried and wet meals. The Swedish concept (combat edition) consists of several versions for different use, in all climate zones, and various types of missions. Examples of different types of rations: 1-course (patrolration), 2-course, 3-course and 4-course versions with a variation of 40 different meals, both wet and dry. The rations varies from 1300 kcal to 5000 kcal. The ration is packed in a transparent durable plastic bag that is resealable with a ziplock. The contents are 1–4 main meals with energy bars, protein bars, nuts, energy drinks, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, desserts and spices for example. The durable bag change size depending on the version for optimal space usage in cartons and soldiers' backpacks. 24 hour meals have been developed at a rapid pace and are currently producing their 5th generation (first in 2008). R&D are working close with soldiers in Scandinavia and various missions around the world.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

== Specific varieties == Tripolite is the variety found in Tripoli, Libya. Bann clay is the variety found in the Lower Bann valley in Northern Ireland. Moler (mo-clay) is the variety found in northwestern Denmark, especially on the islands of Fur and Mors. Freshwater-derived food grade diatomaceous earth is the type used in United States agriculture for grain storage, as feed supplement, and as an insecticide. It is produced uncalcinated, has a very fine particle size, and is very low in crystal silica (<2%). Salt-water-derived pool / beer / wine filter grade is not suitable for human consumption or effective as an insecticide. Usually calcinated before being sold to remove impurities and undesirable volatile contents, it is composed of larger particles than the freshwater version and has a high crystalline silica content (>60%).

==== Antimicrobial Peptides and Chitosan ==== Naturally occurring chitin and certain peptides have been recognized for their antimicrobial properties. Today, these materials are engineered into nanoparticles to produce low-cost disinfection applications. Natural peptides form nano-scale channels in the bacterial cell membranes, which causes osmotic collapse. These peptides are now synthesized to tailor the antimicrobial nanostructures with respect to size, morphology, coatings, derivatization, and other properties allowing them to be used for specific antimicrobial properties as desired. Chitosan is a polymer obtained from chitin in arthropod shells, and has been used for its antibacterial properties for a while, but even more so since the polymer has been made into nanoparticles. Chitosan proves to be effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, however, it is more effective against fungi and viruses than bacteria. The positively charged chitosan nanoparticles interact with the negatively charged cell membrane, which causes an increase in membrane permeability, and eventually the intracellular components leak and rupture.

== History == In 1872, Anders Daae and Christian Horrebow Homann reported an epidemic of pleurodynia occurring in Bamble Municipality in Norway, giving rise to the name "Bamble disease". Subsequent reports, published only in Norwegian, referred to the disease by this name. Niels Ryberg Finsen also described the disease in Iceland in 1874. In 1933, Ejnar Sylvest gave a doctoral thesis describing a Danish outbreak of this disease on Bornholm Island entitled "Bornholm disease-myalgia epidemica", and this name has persisted. In 1949 the Coxsackie B virus was isolated and established as an etiology of Bornholm disease.

== Function == Proteoglycans are a major component of the animal extracellular matrix, the "filler" substance existing between cells in an organism. Here they form large complexes, both to other proteoglycans, to hyaluronan, and to fibrous matrix proteins, such as collagen. The combination of proteoglycans and collagen form cartilage, a sturdy tissue that is usually heavily hydrated (mostly due to the negatively charged sulfates in the glycosaminoglycan chains of the proteoglycans). They are also involved in binding cations (such as sodium, potassium and calcium) and water, and also regulating the movement of molecules through the matrix. Evidence also shows they can affect the activity and stability of proteins and signalling molecules within the matrix. Individual functions of proteoglycans can be attributed to either the protein core or the attached GAG chain. They can also serve as lubricants, by creating a hydrating gel that helps withstand high pressure.

The back corridor, also visible today, is quite unusual, as its vault is trabeated, formed of three flat longitudinal surfaces, on which figures of devatas are aligned like a deck of cards. On the bench along the back wall, stood a colossal reclining Buddha image in a scene of the Parinirvana, with elegant flying devatas hovering over the Buddha. Remains of female statues seated on the back bench were visible, with, at their, feet the bust of a man-elephant. The style of the paintings in this cave, especially in the side and back corridors is very elegant and "painterly", with sophisticated shading of the bodies to express sculptural volume. It is quite similar to the style of the Cave of the Hippocampi (Cave 118), and may belong to the same school. This refined style contrasts with the style of panels in the cella, the "Cowherd Nanda", which is much bolder, using intense colors (browns, greens and oranges), thicker lines and simpler patterns. This divergence suggests that the "Cave of the Statues" may be transitional between these two early styles. Later caves such as the Cave of the Musicians point to an even more different style, using vivid colors and Ligne claire sharp lines to delineate body shapes together with the abundant use of intense blue pigments, with different roots inspired by the Western art of the 4th century CE.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

Is epitalon the same as epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is a heterogeneous peptide fraction obtained from pineal gland extract and contains many components. Epitalon is a single synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. Researchers synthesised the shorter peptide while attempting to identify active sequences within the extract.

Does epitalon occur naturally in the human body?

No endogenous peptide with this exact sequence has been described as a circulating hormone or signalling molecule. The tetrapeptide was designed as a synthetic analogue based on fragments observed in pineal preparations. Any activity discussed in the literature therefore refers to administered material rather than to a natural pool of the compound.

What regulatory category does epitalon fall into?

It is not an approved medicine in major jurisdictions and does not appear in the major pharmacopoeias. Material is usually distributed as a research chemical or laboratory reagent. Such labelling places handling responsibility on the purchaser and does not indicate that a regulatory body has reviewed the substance.

What is epitalon?

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.

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