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Epitalon Background And Nomenclature — Explained

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-01-20 · last reviewed 2026-02-04 · Blog

If you have been reading about Epitalon and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.

Last reviewed on 2026-02-04. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.

Epitalon Background and Nomenclature

Laboratory work has examined effects on telomerase activity in cultured cells, on melatonin rhythms in animals, and on markers of oxidative stress. Some experiments report measurable changes while others show none, and the reported findings rest largely on small studies. The absence of large independent trials means the generality of these results is unresolved rather than settled. Review articles occasionally apply the label geroprotector, a term that reflects a research hypothesis about ageing rather than an established clinical finding.

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.

Analytical Methods and Storage

Lyophilised epitalon is generally held at minus twenty degrees Celsius in a sealed container kept dry and dark. Cooler conditions are sometimes recommended for long-term archives. The solid takes up moisture readily enough that repeated opening of a vial introduces water, so dividing a batch into smaller portions before storage lowers degradation risk. Aqueous solutions are less durable than the dry powder and are usually prepared shortly before use, then kept cold and shielded from light to slow hydrolysis and oxidation.

Verification of research-grade material involves comparing a supplier chromatogram against an in-house reference, checking the observed mass against the calculated value, and where possible confirming residue order by tandem mass spectrometry or enzymatic peptide mapping. Purity claims should be read alongside the method used to obtain them, because detection wavelength and integration settings alter the result. Batch-specific data, rather than a generic grade statement, is the informative part of a certificate.

Epitalon at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Molecular formulaC14H22N4O9Computed for the free acid of Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly
Molecular massAbout 390.35 g/molFree peptide; salt forms shift the value
AppearanceWhite to off-white solidTypical of short peptides after freeze-drying
Solubility classFreely soluble in waterAqueous buffers are also commonly used
Common synonymsEpitalon, epithalone, AEDGAEDG is the single-letter sequence

Peptide Identity and Research Origin

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.

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.

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Epitalon in Research Literature and Handling

Regulatory status varies by country and is not harmonized. Epitalon is not an approved drug in major Western jurisdictions. In some countries it is sold as a research chemical, and in others it has appeared in products marketed for other categories. This inconsistent status means that purity, labeling accuracy, and documentation differ widely between suppliers, and verification of identity and purity through independent analysis is the usual way buyers assess a given lot.

Epitalon appears in the literature primarily through a small number of research groups, most of them associated with the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology. Publications describe cell culture experiments, animal studies, and a limited number of small human studies. Independent replication outside this network is sparse. As a result, reviews of the topic usually separate descriptive reports of observed effects from the question of whether those effects generalize, and they note the difficulty of comparing studies that use different preparations and endpoints.

Notes from published material

=== Medical === Karl Koller's groundbreaking discovery of cocaine as a local anesthetic is regarded as the second most significant advance in the history of anesthesia. Although cocaine was once widely preferred for topical anesthesia, the search for replacement agents intensified due to rising costs, strict regulations, and its habit-forming potential. Cocaine is not included on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines; the list formally excludes "cocaine and its combinations" as therapeutic alternatives to ophthalmological preparations. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies cocaine as a Schedule II drug, recognizing its high potential for abuse but still permitting its limited use for medical purposes. However, current pharmacoepidemiological trends suggest that cocaine may soon reach the point where, in practical terms, it is no longer used medically in health care as a Schedule II substance. As physician boards—but not pharmacy boards—continue to assess knowledge of licit cocaine, attention may shift toward drugs with more contemporary medical use. Cocaine is rarely prescribed in modern medicine due to its high potential for abuse and significant risk of adverse effects; its use is almost exclusively limited to health facilities for specific diagnostic procedures or surgeries.

Pentachlorophenol in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB) Non-CCA Wood Preservatives: Guide to Selected Resources - National Pesticide Information Center Archived 2007-10-31 at the Wayback Machine EPA on pentachlorophenol atsdr.cdc.gov on pentachlorophenol CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards EPA study that used the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium to aid in bioremediation of pentachlorophenol in soil[link removed] EPA ReRegistration – www.regulations.gov -Search docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2014-0653.

=== Dietary sources === Good sources of lysine are high-protein foods such as eggs, meat (specifically red meat, lamb, pork, and poultry), soy, beans and peas, cheese (particularly Parmesan), and certain fish (such as cod and sardines). Lysine is the limiting amino acid (the essential amino acid found in the smallest quantity in the particular foodstuff) in most cereal grains, but is plentiful in most pulses (legumes). Beans contain the lysine that maize lacks, and in the human archeological record beans and maize often appear together, as in the Three Sisters: beans, maize, and squash. A food is considered to have sufficient lysine if it has at least 51 mg of lysine per gram of protein (so that the protein is 5.1% lysine). L-lysine HCl is used as a dietary supplement, providing 80.03% L-lysine. As such, 1 g of L-lysine is contained in 1.25 g of L-lysine HCl.

== Medical uses == Opipramol is typically used in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and somatoform disorders. Preliminary studies suggest that opipramol shows potential clinical significance in the treatment of severe sleep bruxism.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

Umami ( from Japanese: うま味, pronounced [ɯmami]), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in meat broths and fermented products. Glutamates are commonly added to some foods in the form of monosodium glutamate (MSG), and nucleotides are commonly added in the form of disodium guanylate, inosine monophosphate (IMP) or guanosine monophosphate (GMP). Since umami has its own receptors rather than arising out of a combination of the traditionally recognized taste receptors, scientists now consider umami to be a distinct taste. Food, beverages, or condiments that have a strong umami flavor include meats, shellfish, fish (including fish sauce and preserved fish such as Maldives fish, katsuobushi, sardines, and anchovies), dashi, tomatoes, mushrooms, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, meat extract (Bouillon cubes), yeast extract (beer, Marmite, Vegemite), kimchi, cheeses (Parmesan, Asiago cheese, or blue cheese), as well as sauces such as A1 sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce. In 1908, Kikunae Ikeda of the University of Tokyo scientifically identified umami as a distinct taste attributed to glutamic acid. As a result, in 1909, Ikeda and Saburōsuke Suzuki founded Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

== Diagnosis == The diagnosis of JIA can be difficult, in part because joint pain in children is so common and may be from many causes other than JIA. The characteristic feature of arthritis is joint swelling which is sometimes – but not always – associated with pain. The presence of joint stiffness is another typical feature, particularly when present in the morning and improving with activity. No single test can confirm a diagnosis of JIA: a combination of presenting signs and symptoms, blood tests, and if necessary medical imaging, is used to make the diagnosis. The blood tests may measure levels of inflammatory markers, as well as the presence of specific immune markers which may include anti-nuclear antibody, HLA-B27, rheumatoid factor and anti–citrullinated protein antibody. These serological markers may be negative in children with JIA, and are often present in healthy children; as such they should not be interpreted in isolation but in the context of the clinical presentation. Many children with JIA have normal blood work. X-rays may be required to ensure that the joint pain and swelling is not from a fracture, cancer, infection, or congenital abnormality. In some cases, fluid from the joint can be aspirated and analysed to assist in making a diagnosis. This test can assist by ruling out other causes of arthritis such as infection.

=== Cockcroft–Gault formula === A commonly used surrogate marker for the estimation of creatinine clearance is the Cockcroft–Gault (CG) formula, which in turn estimates GFR in mL/min: It is named after the scientists, the asthmologist Donald William Cockcroft (b. 1946) and the nephrologist Matthew Henry Gault (1925–2003), who first published the formula in 1976, and it employs serum creatinine measurements and a patient's weight to predict the creatinine clearance. The formula, as originally published, is:

Examples of landmark, and frequently controversial judgments, include Van Gend en Loos (holding EU law to created a new legal order, and citizens could sue for treaty rights), Mangold v Helm (establishing equality as a general principle of EU law), and Kadi v Commission (confirming international law had to conform with basic principles of EU law). Until 2016, there was the European Union Civil Service Tribunal, which dealt with EU institutions' staff issues.

== Treatment == Benign tumors typically need no treatment unless they cause problems such as seizures, discomfort or cosmetic concerns. Surgery is usually the most effective approach and is used to treat most benign tumors. In some cases, other treatments may be used. Adenomas of the rectum may be treated with sclerotherapy, in which chemicals are used to shrink blood vessels in order to cut off the blood supply. Most benign tumors do not respond to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, although there are exceptions; benign intercranial tumors are sometimes treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy under certain circumstances. Radiation can also be used to treat hemangiomas in the rectum. Benign skin tumors are usually surgically resected but other treatments such as cryotherapy, curettage, electrodesiccation, laser therapy, dermabrasion, chemical peels and topical medication are used.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

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.

Why do two spellings appear in the literature?

Epitalon and epithalon both circulate, and the difference reflects transliteration of a name coined in Russian-language publications. Reference to the extract it derives from, epithalamin, explains the shared stem. Databases and suppliers are inconsistent, so a search for one spelling alone may miss relevant entries.

Is epitalon the same substance as epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is a multi-component preparation obtained from pineal tissue, and its exact composition is not fully characterised. Epitalon is a single defined tetrapeptide described as a short synthetic counterpart of that extract, so the two are related in origin but not interchangeable in identity.

How is epitalon purity measured?

The usual approach is reversed-phase HPLC with ultraviolet detection, reported as a percentage of total peak area. Mass spectrometry is used alongside chromatography to confirm identity rather than purity alone.

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