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Epitalon Background And Nomenclature — Deep Dive

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-06-16 · last reviewed 2026-07-02 · Topic

A practical reference on tetrapeptide: what it is, how it behaves, what the literature reports, and where the honest uncertainties sit.

Reviewed 2026-07-02. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

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.

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.

The proposed relationship between epitalon and pineal function is a central part of its background. Khavinson's group reported that short peptides corresponding to regions of larger pineal proteins could influence gene expression in cells. Epitalon was framed as a synthetic analogue of an active fragment rather than a direct isolation product. Whether the tetrapeptide reproduces the effects of the parent extract is an open question, because comparative studies are limited and the parent extract itself is not a single defined substance.

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

Identity and Research Background

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 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.

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Reference notes

==== Distribution ==== Spironolactone and its metabolite canrenone are highly plasma protein bound, with percentages of 88.0% and 99.2%, respectively. Spironolactone is bound equivalently to albumin and α1-acid glycoprotein, while canrenone is bound only to albumin. Spironolactone and its metabolite 7α-thiospironolactone show very low or negligible affinity for sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). In accordance, a study of high-dosage spironolactone treatment found no change in steroid binding capacity related to SHBG or to corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), suggesting that spironolactone does not displace steroid hormones from their carrier proteins. This is in contradiction with widespread statements that spironolactone increases free estradiol levels by displacing estradiol from SHBG. Spironolactone appears to cross the blood–brain barrier.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that Russia launched sixteen missiles and thirty five Shahed drones at Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine, injuring five people in Kyiv. Ukraine claimed to have shot down all drones. Other attacks occurred in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions. Rocket fire was also reported along with airstrikes. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yurii Ihnat said that there were "seven aircraft and up to eight launches of Kh-22 cruise missiles" at Odesa Oblast. Many of the missiles were believed to have self-destructed due to their age. One missile was believed to have hit a food storage warehouse in Odesa starting a fire. The missiles were fired from Tu-22 bombers. The attacks occurred on the eve of celebrations of Victory Day in Russia on 9 May. Russia again blocked grain exports from Ukraine, putting about 90 ships in waiting.

== External links == Fisher HealthCare Clinical Catalog - The Digital Edition Fisher HealthCare Rapid Diagnostics Catalog - The Digital Edition 1980 article on Fisher's product line ISO 9001:2015 Quality System Certified Organization, Scientific Lab Equipment 1987 article on Fisher products

Nebraska Senator Vickie McDonald responded with "Anytime anything's on YouTube it's an issue," and "Legislators, parents, grandparents, we need to be on top of these things," McDonald proposed Schedule I listing Salvia divinorum as part of their Controlled Substances Act, under which possession of salvia would have been considered a Class IV felony with a penalty of up to five years and trafficking would have fallen under a Class III felony with up to a 20 year penalty. In Massachusetts, YouTube videos were shown by a retired police officer to public health and judiciary committees as evidence in favor of outlawing it there. The issue has been raised of whether the salvia videos are in breach of YouTube's own community guidelines, which ask users not to "cross the line" and post videos showing "bad stuff" like "drug abuse". The question is considered as particularly problematical as the videos may be something of an enforcement grey area.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Notes from published material

=== Pakistan === The 2012 Pakistan fake medicine crisis revealed the scale of production of counterfeit medications in Pakistan. Over 100 heart patients died after administration of adulterated drugs by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology. Pakistan did not have any regulatory enforcement on production of medicines until this crisis occurred. In response to the crisis, a regulatory body was finally set up in February 2012.

=== Weightlifting supplement === Amino acid supplements, including L-ornithine, are frequently marketed to bodybuilders and weightlifters with claims of increasing levels of human growth hormone (HGH), muscle mass, and strength. A short, four-day clinical study conducted in 1993 reported that L-ornithine, in combination with L-arginine and L-lysine at 2 g/day each, did not increase HGH levels. A review published in 2002 concluded, "The use of specific amino acids to stimulate GH release by athletes is not recommended."

== Mechanism of action == Blasticidin prevents the growth of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. It works by inhibiting termination step of translation and peptide bond formation (to lesser extent) by the ribosome. This means that cells can no longer produce new proteins through translation of mRNA. It is competitive with puromycin suggesting a highly similar binding site.

In pharmacology, inorganic bromide compounds, especially potassium bromide, were frequently used as general sedatives in the 19th and early 20th century. Porsche in 1828 used KBr for scrofula. Otto Graf in a 1842 thesis reported that he became impotent while taking 1.8 g/day for two weeks as a self-experiment, and recovered sexual function upon ending the intake. Huette in 1850 reported that it caused impotence and loss of libido. Charles Locock in 1856 administered to women with "hysterical epilepsy", whose symptoms included masturbation. Locock theorized that masturbation caused epilepsy in these cases, and adiminstered KBr based on its anaphrodisiac effect. It caused a remission of epilepsy and masturbation. Locock did not understand KBr as an anticonvulsant in its own right. Subsequent research in the 1860s established KBr as generally effective for epilepsy, not just "hysterical" epilepsy, and it came into widespread use. In 1901, the Hospital for the Palsied and Epileptic in London was buying ~2 ton/year of KBr. Bromides also were recommended for insomnia, palpitations, and general neuroses, until barbituates supplanted them around 1930. It remained the only effective anticonvulsant, until the discovery of phenobarbital in 1912. Bromides in the form of simple salts are still used as anticonvulsants in both veterinary and human medicine, although the latter use varies from country to country. For example, the U.S.

== Advantages over ordinary monoclonal antibodies == Cancer immunotherapy with ordinary monoclonal antibodies does not activate T-lymphocytes because the Fab regions are already used for binding the tumor cells, and this type of cell does not have Fc receptors. Bispecific antibodies also have a higher cytotoxic potential, and bind to antigens that are expressed relatively weakly. The effective dose is around 0.01 mg·m−2·d−1 (milligrams per square meter body surface area per day), which is several orders of magnitude lower than with ordinary antibodies. For non-IgG-like BsAbs, their smaller size allows them to reach antigens usually unavailable to conventional antibodies. In the case of Ebola vaccines, this method allows the antibody to target intracellular targets not usually accessible by traditional monoclonal antibody treatments. Additionally, targeting more than one molecule can be useful to circumvent the regulation of parallel pathways and avoid resistance to the treatment. Binding or blocking multiple targets in a pathway can be beneficial to stopping disease, as most conditions have complicated multifaceted effects throughout the body. Together with combination therapies, BsAbs are being used more and more to treat certain types of cancers, as, over time, some tumors develop resistances to checkpoint inhibitors and/or co-stimulatory molecules.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

== Early life and education == Hagedorn was born in Copenhagen. His father was the captain of a coaster adapted for use as a folk high school ship where aspiring sailors received training in navigation as well as other subjects. Hagedorn attended Hesselager Latin School on Funen. In 1916, he began to study medicine at the University of Copenhagen. During his studies, he worked as an assistant for Carl Julius Salomonsen. He also assisted Christian Bohr.

EC 1.1.99.9: pyridoxine 5-dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.10: Now EC 1.1.5.9, glucose 1-dehydrogenase (FAD, quinone) EC 1.1.99.11: Now classified as EC 1.1.5.14, fructose 5-dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.12: sorbose dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.13: glucoside 3-dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.14: glycolate dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.15: Now EC 1.5.1.20, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase [NAD(P)H] EC 1.1.99.16: Now EC EC 1.1.5.4, malate dehydrogenase (quinone) EC 1.1.99.17: Now EC 1.1.5.2, quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.18: cellobiose dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.19: Now EC 1.17.99.4, uracil/thymine dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.20: alkan-1-ol dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.21: D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.22: glycerol dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.23: Now EC 1.1.2.6, polyvinyl alcohol dehydrogenase (cytochrome) EC 1.1.99.24: hydroxyacid-oxoacid transhydrogenase EC 1.1.99.25: Now EC 1.1.5.8, quinate dehydrogenase (quinone), EC 1.1.99.26: 3-hydroxycyclohexanone dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.27: (R)-pantolactone dehydrogenase (flavin) EC 1.1.99.28: glucose-fructose oxidoreductase EC 1.1.99.29: pyranose dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.30: 2-oxoacid reductase EC 1.1.99.31: (S)-mandelate dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.32: L-sorbose 1-dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.33: Now EC 1.17.99.7, formate dehydrogenase (acceptor) EC 1.1.99.34: now EC 1.1.98.2, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (coenzyme-F420) EC 1.1.99.35: soluble quinoprotein glucose dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.36: alcohol dehydrogenase (nicotinoprotein) EC 1.1.99.37: methanol dehydrogenase (nicotinoprotein) EC 1.1.99.38: 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosamine dehydrogenase (AdoMet-dependent) EC 1.1.99.39: D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase EC 1.1.99.40: (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate—pyruvate transhydrogenase EC 1.1.99.41: 3-hydroxy-1,2-didehydro-2,3-dihydrotabersonine reductase EC 1.1.99.42: 4-pyridoxic acid dehydrogenase

Generally, physicians, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses, paramedics, radiographers, and students of certain biological sciences, learn gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy from anatomical models, skeletons, textbooks, diagrams, photographs, lectures, and tutorials. The study of microscopic anatomy (or histology) can be aided by practical experience examining histological preparations (or slides) under a microscope; and in addition, medical and dental students generally also learn anatomy with practical experience of dissection and inspection of cadavers (dead human bodies). A thorough working knowledge of anatomy is required for all medical doctors, especially surgeons, and doctors working in some diagnostic specialities, such as histopathology and radiology. Human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry are basic medical sciences, which are generally taught to medical students in their first year at medical school. Human anatomy can be taught regionally or systemically; that is, respectively, studying anatomy by bodily regions such as the head and chest, or studying by specific systems, such as the nervous or respiratory systems. The major anatomy textbook, Gray's Anatomy, has recently been reorganized from a systems format to a regional format, which is in line with the modern teaching.

Processes that avoid the need for pumping tend to have overall low energy demands. Those water treatment technologies that have very low energy requirements including trickling filters, slow sand filters, gravity aqueducts. A 2021 study found that a large-scale water chlorination program in urban areas of Mexico massively reduced childhood diarrheal disease mortality rates.

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.

What is epitalon made of?

Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide composed of four amino acids: alanine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine. It is written as Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly. The free peptide has a molecular weight of about 390 daltons and is normally supplied as a lyophilized powder.

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