If you have been reading about AEDG 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.
Updated 2025-08-18. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
Human data are limited to small studies, often without the randomization, blinding, or control groups expected in contemporary clinical research. Reported outcomes have included changes in melatonin levels, immune markers, and subjective measures, but sample sizes were generally too small to support firm conclusions. Some reviews treat the peptide as promising while noting methodological weaknesses; others question whether the observed effects are specific. The compound is frequently discussed in longevity-focused communities, where enthusiasm often outpaces the published evidence. Separating established findings from speculation is therefore important when reading summaries of this research.
Epitalon emerged from research conducted in Saint Petersburg by Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues, who studied short peptides as potential regulators of aging. The work built on epithalamin, a pineal gland extract reported to influence neuroendocrine function. Epitalon was designed as a synthetic counterpart with a defined sequence, allowing reproducible experiments that extracts could not support. Early publications described effects on melatonin rhythms and lifespan in animal models. These findings circulated mainly in Russian-language journals during the 1990s, which limited their visibility among English-speaking researchers.
Several names circulate for the same molecule, including epitalon, epithalone, epithalamin tetrapeptide, and the sequence code AEDG. A CAS registry number, 307297-39-8, is commonly cited for it, though catalogue entries should be checked against supplier documentation because mislabelled records occur. In its usual form the peptide carries free amino and carboxyl termini and is neither glycosylated nor lipidated. Researchers distinguish the defined tetrapeptide from epithalamin itself, a crude pineal preparation containing many peptides that is not chemically characterised.
Material supplied for laboratory use is normally a lyophilised white to off-white powder that dissolves readily in water and in isotonic saline. Lyophilised cakes are hygroscopic and should be equilibrated to room temperature before opening to limit condensation on the solid. Solutions are typically prepared at milligram-per-millilitre concentrations and divided into single-use aliquots, because repeated freeze–thaw cycles degrade short peptides. Aqueous solutions are far less stable than the dry powder, and identity is usually verified by mass spectrometry alongside purity estimation from reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
Epitalon is a synthetic linear tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine–glutamate–aspartate–glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and the calculated mass is approximately 390.35 g/mol. The compound is made by solid-phase peptide synthesis rather than extracted from tissue, although early work described it as a short fragment of a peptide fraction obtained from bovine pineal extract. In the research literature the spelling epitalon and the variant epithalone both appear, while AEDG is the standard code used in peptide nomenclature.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Peptide sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Single-letter form AEDG |
| Compound class | Synthetic tetrapeptide | Not a natural free peptide |
| Research origin | Russian gerontology institutes | Developed during the 1990s |
| Main research claim | Telomerase activation | Evidence mainly from cultured cells |
| Regulatory status | Not an approved drug | Handled as a research material |
Laboratory handling begins with dissolution of the lyophilized powder in water or a suitable aqueous buffer. The dry solid is the more stable form, so stock solutions are generally prepared only when required and kept cold afterwards. Repeated freezing and thawing of a solution is avoided because it encourages aggregation and gradual loss of the intact chain. Diluents and containers are selected to limit adsorption of a short peptide onto plastic surfaces and to reduce microbial growth in aqueous preparations.
Stability depends strongly on pH, temperature and the presence of oxygen and trace metals. Cleavage of the backbone proceeds faster under neutral to alkaline conditions, whereas acidic solutions tend to slow that reaction. The aspartate and glutamate side chains can undergo deamidation or imide formation over time, generating closely related impurities. Published stability data specific to epitalon are sparse, so the usable life of a given solution is best regarded as an open question that depends on buffer composition, concentration and storage temperature.
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.
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.
Purity assessment of peptide reagents normally relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. A gradient of acetonitrile in water with trifluoroacetic acid, paired with a C18 stationary phase, separates the target tetrapeptide from truncated sequences and deletion analogues. Detection at 214 nanometres exploits absorbance of the peptide backbone, since the molecule contains no aromatic residue. Results are expressed as a percentage of total peak area. Values above ninety-five percent are typical for research-grade material, although reporting conventions vary between suppliers.
Identity confirmation uses mass spectrometry, usually electrospray ionisation in positive mode or matrix-assisted laser desorption. The protonated free peptide produces a signal near three hundred and ninety-one daltons, while salt adducts shift that value slightly. Tandem mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis supplies sequence-level confirmation, which a single mass measurement cannot. Peptides containing aspartate can cyclise into succinimide intermediates that hydrolyse to isoaspartate isomers of identical mass. Because those isomers are difficult to separate chromatographically, identity and purity results carry more weight when interpreted together.
Storage practice centres on limiting moisture, oxygen, and repeated temperature cycling. Freeze-dried powder is generally held desiccated at minus twenty degrees Celsius or colder and protected from light. Reconstituted solutions are markedly less stable, and the aspartate-glycine junction is prone to succinimide formation at neutral to mildly alkaline pH. Portioning material into single-use aliquots reduces degradation compared with repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Stability data specific to this tetrapeptide remain scarce, so most handling guidance is extrapolated from general peptide chemistry rather than measured directly.
(2008) citing Loureiro and Malfeito-Ferreira from 2006 when they affirmed that current molecular DNA detection techniques have uncovered no variance between the anamorph and teleomorph states. Over the past decade, Brettanomyces spp. have seen an increasing use in the craft-brewing sector of the industry, with a handful of breweries having produced beers that were primarily fermented with pure cultures of Brettanomyces spp. This has occurred out of experimentation, as very little information exists regarding pure culture fermentative capabilities and the aromatic compounds produced by various strains. Dekkera/Brettanomyces spp. have been the subjects of numerous studies conducted over the past century, although a majority of the recent research has focused on enhancing the knowledge of the wine industry. Recent research on eight Brettanomyces strains available in the brewing industry focused on strain-specific fermentations and identified the major compounds produced during pure culture anaerobic fermentation in wort.
James Marsh was the first to apply this new science to the art of forensics. He was called by the prosecution in a murder trial to give evidence as a chemist in 1832. The defendant, John Bodle, was accused of poisoning his grandfather with arsenic-laced coffee. Marsh performed the standard test by mixing a suspected sample with hydrogen sulfide and hydrochloric acid. While he was able to detect arsenic as yellow arsenic trisulfide, when it was shown to the jury it had deteriorated, allowing the suspect to be acquitted due to reasonable doubt. Annoyed by that, Marsh developed a much better test. He combined a sample containing arsenic with sulfuric acid and arsenic-free zinc, resulting in arsine gas. The gas was ignited, and it decomposed to pure metallic arsenic, which, when passed to a cold surface, would appear as a silvery-black deposit. So sensitive was the test, known formally as the Marsh test, that it could detect as little as one-fiftieth of a milligram of arsenic. He first described this test in The Edinburgh Philosophical Journal in 1836.
== Environmental == Chloral hydrate is, together with chloroform, a minor side-product of the chlorination of water when organic residues such as humic acids are present. It has been detected in drinking water at concentrations of up to 100 micrograms per litre (μg/L) but concentrations are normally found to be below 10 μg/L. Levels are generally found to be higher in surface water than in ground water.
ACS Publications is the publishing division of the ACS. It is a nonprofit academic publisher of scientific journals covering various fields of chemistry and related sciences. As of 2026, ACS Publications published the following peer-reviewed journals: In addition to academic journals, ACS Publications also publishes Chemical & Engineering News, a weekly trade magazine covering news in the chemical profession, inChemistry, a magazine for undergraduate students, and ChemMatters, a magazine for high school students and teachers. ACS also created ChemRxiv, which is an open access preprint repository for the chemical sciences, co-owned, and collaboratively managed by the American Chemical Society (ACS), German Chemical Society (GDCh), Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the chemistry community, other societies, funders, and non-profits; open for submissions and available for all readers at ChemRxiv.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Paleoclimate === 12C and 13C are measured as the isotope ratio δ13C in benthic foraminifera and used as a proxy for nutrient cycling and the temperature dependent air–sea exchange of CO2 (ocean ventilation). Photosynthetic organisms, such as algae and plants find it easier to use the lighter carbon isotope (12C) when they convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen using sunlight and photosynthesis:
== Management == When lactose intolerance is due to secondary lactase deficiency, treatment of the underlying disease may allow lactase activity to return to normal levels. In people with celiac disease, lactose intolerance normally reverts or improves several months after starting a gluten-free diet, but temporary dietary restriction of lactose may be needed. People with primary lactase deficiency cannot modify their body's ability to produce lactase. In societies where lactose intolerance is the norm, it is not considered a condition that requires treatment. However, where dairy is a larger component of the normal diet, a number of efforts may be useful. There are four general principles in dealing with lactose intolerance: avoidance of dietary lactose, substitution to maintain nutrient intake, regulation of calcium intake, and use of enzyme substitute. Regular consumption of dairy food by lactase deficient individuals may also reduce symptoms of intolerance by promoting colonic bacteria adaptation.
== Side effects == The most common side effects include lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), itching, pain, oedema, and bleeding (for example in the form of bruises or ecchymoses). Allergic reactions are seen in less than 1% of patients. In Peyronie's disease, potential side effects include corporal rupture (penile fracture) or other serious penile injury.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating the quality of a protein based on both the amino acid requirements of humans and their ability to digest it. The PDCAAS rating was recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) in 1989 (report published in 1991). It was adopted by the US FDA in 1993 as "the preferred 'best'" method to determine protein quality. In 2013, FAO proposed changing to Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score.
where one molecule of methane (CH4) and two oxygen molecules O2 are converted into one molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) and two of water (H2O). The number of molecules resulting from the reaction can be derived from the principle of conservation of mass, as initially four hydrogen atoms, 4 oxygen atoms and one carbon atom are present (as well as in the final state); thus the number water molecules produced must be exactly two per molecule of carbon dioxide produced. Many engineering problems are solved by following the mass distribution of a given system over time; this methodology is known as mass balance.
Mercury-Atlas 9 was the final crewed space mission of the U.S. Mercury program, launched on May 15, 1963, from Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft, named Faith 7, completed 22 Earth orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, piloted by astronaut Gordon Cooper, then a United States Air Force major. The Atlas rocket was No. 130-D, and the Mercury spacecraft was No. 20. As of October 2026, this mission marks the last time an American was launched alone to conduct an entirely solo orbital mission.
=== Pros and cons === Osmotic release systems have a number of major advantages over other controlled-release mechanisms. They are significantly less affected by factors such as pH, food intake, GI motility, and differing intestinal environments. Using an osmotic pump to deliver drugs has additional inherent advantages regarding control over drug delivery rates. This allows for much more precise drug delivery over an extended period of time, which results in much more predictable pharmacokinetics. However, osmotic release systems are relatively complicated, somewhat difficult to manufacture, and may cause irritation or even blockage of the GI tract due to prolonged release of irritating drugs from the non-deformable tablet.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues at research institutes in Saint Petersburg developed and studied the peptide. Their program examined short peptides as regulators of aging and neuroendocrine function. Epitalon was one of several compounds produced by that group.
That question is not settled. Cell culture studies have reported increased telomerase activity after treatment, but comparable evidence from controlled human trials is lacking. Any claim about telomere lengthening in people should be treated as unproven.
It has not completed the large, controlled trials required for drug approval in major jurisdictions. Most human reports involve small samples and limited follow-up. As a result, it is sold as a research chemical rather than a licensed pharmaceutical product.
It is a synthetic tetrapeptide. Its sequence was derived from research on peptide fractions of bovine pineal extract, and the intact AEDG sequence has not been demonstrated as an abundant free peptide in human tissue.