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Epitalon Structure And Research Origin — Worked Examples

By Editorial Desk · published 2025-08-10 · last reviewed 2025-09-21 · Data

Epithalamin 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.

Updated 2025-09-21. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.

Epitalon Structure and Research Origin

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.

Epitalon Background and Nomenclature

Epitalon is the common name for a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, usually abbreviated AEDG. All four residues are proteinogenic amino acids, and the free peptide has a calculated mass near 390 grams per mole. Because the chain is short and carries no modifications, it is assembled readily by solid-phase synthesis and is distributed mainly as a freeze-dried solid for laboratory work. Catalogue listings use the spellings epitalon, epithalone, and simply AEDG, and the three refer to the same sequence.

The compound is generally presented as a synthetic fragment of epithalamin, a pineal gland extract investigated in the former Soviet Union from the 1970s onward. Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues in Saint Petersburg developed short peptides modelled on such extracts, and epitalon became the most widely cited of those sequences. Most primary reports appeared in Russian-language journals or in proceedings with limited international circulation. Independent replication in laboratories outside that network remains sparse, and much repeated secondary material traces back to a small number of originating groups.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Chemical classLinear tetrapeptideFour residues joined by three peptide bonds
SequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyCommonly abbreviated AEDG
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Free acid form
Monoisotopic massApproximately 390 DaMatches values reported from mass spectrometry
Net charge near neutral pHNegativeContributed by glutamate and aspartate side chains

Chemical Identity and Research Background

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.

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.

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Epitalon Peptide Background and Structure

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the amino acid sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly or AEDG. It was developed by the Russian researcher Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues during work on peptide bioregulators derived from the pineal gland. The compound is short enough to be produced by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis and is typically handled as a lyophilized white powder. Its small size distinguishes it from larger pineal peptides such as epithalamin, a complex extract from which the tetrapeptide was conceptually derived.

The four residues give epitalon a molecular formula of C14H22N4O9 and a molecular weight near 390.35 daltons. The presence of two acidic residues, glutamate and aspartate, makes the free peptide strongly acidic, while the alanine and glycine ends provide neutral, nonpolar character. This combination produces a molecule with substantial water solubility. Because there are no cysteine, methionine, or tryptophan residues, the peptide lacks the most common oxidation-sensitive side chains, which simplifies handling compared with many longer peptides.

Background and Proposed Mechanism

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.

Supporting material

The synthesis of glucose established the structure of organic material and consequently formed the first definitive validation of Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff's theories of chemical kinetics and the arrangements of chemical bonds in carbon-bearing molecules. Between 1891 and 1894, Fischer established the stereochemical configuration of all the known sugars and correctly predicted the possible isomers, applying the Van 't Hoff equation of asymmetrical carbon atoms. The names initially referred to the natural substances. Their enantiomers were given the same name with the introduction of systematic nomenclatures, taking into account absolute stereochemistry (e.g. Fischer nomenclature, d/l nomenclature). For the discovery of the metabolism of glucose Otto Fritz Meyerhof received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1922. Hans von Euler-Chelpin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Arthur Harden in 1929 for their "research on the fermentation of sugar and their share of enzymes in this process". In 1947, Bernardo Houssay (for his discovery of the role of the pituitary gland in the metabolism of glucose and the derived carbohydrates) as well as Carl and Gerty Cori (for their discovery of the conversion of glycogen from glucose) received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 1970, Luis Leloir was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of glucose-derived sugar nucleotides in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates.

Monster Energy is a brand of energy drinks that was created by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002 and released to the public with its original flavor on April 18, 2002. In 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% share of the American energy drink market, the second-highest after Red Bull. As of March 2026, there are over 300 different flavors under the Monster brand worldwide, including its core Monster Energy line, Java Monster, Zero Ultra, Juice, Maxx, Hydro, HydroSport, Nitro, Shot, Nitrous, XXL, BFC, Extra Strength, Dragon Tea, Muscle, Import, Export, Coffee, Unleaded, Assault, Punch and Rehab. Monster Energy is known for its sponsorship and support of action sports, including motorsport racing, motocross, skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, BMX, freeride mountain biking and MMA. The company sponsors major events and series such as the X Games, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), ONE Championship, MotoGP, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Stab High surf event, FIA World Rallycross Championship and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017–19).Monster also partners with other major sports organizations including the Big 12 Conference, the Invictus Games, and the PBR: Unleash the Beast Professional Bull Riders tour.It also supports Kawasaki Motors Racing team, F1 team McLaren, as well as Mercedes-Benz Formula One drivers, and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Nitro Rallycross drivers.

== Finances == For the fiscal year 2017, BASF reported earnings of €6.1 billion, with an annual revenue of €64.5 billion, an increase of 12% over the previous fiscal cycle. BASF's shares traded at over €69 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at €63.7 billion in November 2018. In October 2019, BASF reported a drop of operating income for July to September amounting to 24 percent, along with a drop in EBIT earnings of €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion). The US–China trade war as well as uncertainties related to Brexit were identified as contributing factors. However, overall third quarter profit beat expectations as the acquisition of Bayer AG's agrochemical and seed business help to offset some of the effects of the trade war.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

Skin conditions resulting from errors in metabolism are caused by enzymatic defects that lead to an accumulation or deficiency of various cellular components, including, but not limited to, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Macrophallism, macrophallus, or macropenis, is a condition defined in a medical context as an adult or juvenile penis with an erect length of 2.5 standard deviations (SD) above the average (approximately seven inches or 17.8 cm in length post-puberty) but otherwise formed normally. It is generally characterized by substantial penile girth or length, sometimes causing functional issues. The condition is occasionally associated with underlying conditions like priapism, palmar fibromatosis, hypertrophy, and sickle cell disease. Treatment for macrophallism is extremely uncommon, and only for when penetration isn't possible, but primarily include penis reduction.

The so-called Stele of the Vultures, now in the Louvre, is a fragmented limestone stele found in Telloh, (ancient Girsu) Iraq, in 1881. The stele is reconstructed as having been 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) high and 1.3 metres (4 ft 3 in) wide and was set up c. 2450 BCE. It was erected as a monument of the victory of Eannatum of Lagash over Ush, king of Umma, leading to a boundary treaty with his successor Enakalle of Umma. On it, various incidents in the war are represented. In one register, the king (his name appears inscribed around his head) stands in front of his phalanx of heavily armoured soldiers, with a curved weapon in his right hand, formed of three bars of metal bound together by rings. In another register a figure, the king, his name again inscribed around his head, rides on his chariot in the thick of the battle, while his kilted followers, with helmets on their heads and lances in their hands, march behind him. On the other side of the stele is an image of Ninurta, a god of war, holding the captive Ummaites in a large net. This implies that Eannatum attributed his victory to Ninurta, and thus that he was in the god's protection (though some accounts say that he attributed his victory to Enlil, the patron deity of Lagash). The victory of Eannatum is mentioned in a fragmentary inscription on the stele, suggesting that after the loss of 3,600 soldiers on the field, Ush, king of Umma, was killed in a rebellion in his capital city of Umma: “[…] (Eannatum) defeated him.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

==== Oceania ==== Slaves (he mōkai) had a recognised social role in traditional Māori society in New Zealand. Blackbirding occurred on islands in the Pacific Ocean and Australia, especially in the 19th century.

== Coups d'état == "...Thailand has experienced more coups d'état than any other country in contemporary history." according to The Washington Post. Since 1932, Thailand has had seven coup attempts and 12 successful coups (as of 2015).

It has been scientifically shown to improve the rate of wound healing, but the mechanism responsible for this effect is not understood. A 2008 study has claimed that emu oil has a better anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory potential than ostrich oil, and linked this to emu oil's higher proportion of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids. While there are no scientific studies showing that emu oil is effective in humans, it is marketed and promoted as a dietary supplement with a wide variety of claimed health benefits. Commercially marketed emu oil supplements are poorly standardised.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon chemically?

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.

Where did epitalon research originate?

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.

Is epitalon a naturally occurring peptide?

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.

What is epitalon made of?

It is a four-amino-acid peptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine. The chain is unmodified and contains only standard proteinogenic residues, which makes it straightforward to produce by solid-phase synthesis and to characterise by standard peptide methods.

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