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Epitalon Background And Identification — Deep Dive

By Editorial Desk · published 2026-04-20 · last reviewed 2026-06-09 · Faq

The short version of epitalon fits in a sentence. The long version — which is the one that helps — is below.

Reviewed 2026-06-09. Anything still debated is marked as such rather than presented as settled.

Epitalon Background And Identification

Literature searches for this compound must account for several spelling variants. Indexing databases contain epitalon, epithalon, epithalone, and AEDG, and relevant records are scattered across Russian-language and English-language journals that do not consistently cross-cite. Early publications describe the parent extract as a mixture of many peptides, whereas later work addresses the single synthetic tetrapeptide. That shift in nomenclature complicates comparison between studies, because extract data and tetrapeptide data are sometimes cited interchangeably. A search strategy omitting the alternate spellings will return an incomplete set of references.

Reported biological findings come mainly from cell culture and rodent experiments. Those studies describe changes in telomerase catalytic subunit expression, melatonin rhythm amplitude, and antioxidant enzyme activity after peptide exposure. Human data are sparse and consist of small trials with limited blinding and inconsistent endpoints. The proposed mechanisms remain hypotheses rather than established facts, and there is no consensus on whether effects observed in animals carry over to people. Independent replication outside the original research groups is limited, which is a recognised gap in the published literature.

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 at a glance

PropertyValueNotes
Chemical classSynthetic tetrapeptideFour amino acid residues
Residue sequenceAla-Glu-Asp-GlyAbbreviated AEDG
Approximate mass390.35 DaMonoisotopic, free base form
Parent preparationEpithalamin extractDerived from pineal tissue
Common spelling variantsEpithalon, epithalone, AEDGAffects literature retrieval

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

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.

Further detail

== Chemistry == Vortioxetine (1-[2-(2,4-dimethylphenylsulfanyl)phenyl]piperazine) is a bis-aryl-sulfanyl amine as well as piperazine derivative. The acid dissociation constant (pKa) values for vortioxetine hydrobromide were determined to be 9.1 (± 0.1) and 3.0 (± 0.2) according to an Australian Public Assessment Report.

Their 2023 song "Spleenwise" continued "the grand tradition of gothically inclined doom bands" initiated by My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and Type O Negative. Its composition, featuring "strong 80s overtones", unfolds at the "glacial pace" of Hangman's Chair, with stylistic echoes of the Sisters of Mercy and Tears for Fears. The guitar amplifier head that Chanut had used on previous albums had been stolen. Nostalgic for the sound they used to have and having begun playing guitar with Azzouni using an old preamplifier, Chanut decided to purchase one. However, Chanut employed Azzouni's preamp on Saddiction, as Caste had since purchased it. The group described themselves as being involved in "constant sound research". Chanut used a Bass VI to record Saddiction, an instrument he described as a cross between an electric guitar and an electric bass, which he said brought "much more consistency" to the sound. He was able to approach their music "from another prism" by changing his guitar's tuning, which boosted his creativity. "Post-punk is almost perfect ... It just needs bigger riffs", the band members said; this was the guiding principle when creating the album, noted Metal Hammer's Matt Mills. Michel Valentin of Le Parisien wrote that Saddiction is "still rooted in metal but with numerous more atmospheric, gothic, even 'cold wave' passages". On Saddiction, the band continued in the same sonic direction as on A Loner, with Toufouti mentioning experiments with chorus effects and clean tones.

==== European Commission ==== In February 2024, the European Commission launched an investigation into TikTok for potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), involving content aiming at children and advertising transparency. In April 2024, the European Commission opened a second investigation into TikTok to assess whether it broke EU law. In October 2024, the European Commission requested additional information from TikTok relating to its algorithm and risks around elections, mental health, and protection of minors. In December 2024, the European Commission announced an investigation into TikTok over accusations of Russian interference in the 2024 Romanian presidential election. In May 2025, the European Commission found TikTok had violated digital advertising rules under the DSA.

=== Category:EC 3.2 (act on sugars - glycosylases) === Category:EC 3.2.1 Amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) Sucrase (EC 3.2.1.10) Chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) Lysozyme (EC 3.2.1.17) Maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) Lactase (EC 3.2.1.23) Beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) Hyaluronidase (EC 3.2.1.35)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Background from the literature

RSH + Cl–S–C(=O)–Cl → RS–S–C(=O)–Cl + HClThese reagents are useful for the derivatization of biological thiols. Methoxycarbonylsulfenyl chloride, a related reagent derived from the above chemistry, is used in solid-phase peptide synthesis for selective disulfide bond formation via conversion of the acetamidomethyl (Acm) cysteine protecting group to thiol-labile S-alkylsulfenyl thiocarbonate (carbomethylsulfenyl, Scm) protecting group.

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The GIUK gap (sometimes written G-I-UK) is an area in the northern Atlantic Ocean that forms a naval choke point. Its name is an initialism for Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, the gap being the two stretches of open ocean among these three landmasses. It separates the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea from the open Atlantic Ocean. The term is typically used in relation to military topics. The area has been considered strategically important since the beginning of the 20th century.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Further detail

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Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Frequently asked questions

What is epitalon derived from?

It is based on epithalamin, a peptide-rich preparation obtained from pineal gland tissue and studied in the former Soviet Union. Researchers later identified the tetrapeptide AEDG as a constituent fragment of that material. Modern supplies are produced by chemical synthesis rather than tissue extraction.

Is epitalon identical to epithalamin?

No. Epithalamin is a heterogeneous extract containing many peptides, while epitalon is a single synthesised tetrapeptide. Publications sometimes treat findings from the two as equivalent, which is a common source of confusion. Their compositions differ and they are not interchangeable in analytical terms.

Why are human studies so limited?

Most published work uses cell cultures or rodents because those models are faster and less costly to run. The few human trials that have been reported are small, and several lack control groups or blinding. This restricts what can reasonably be concluded about effects in people.

What is epitalon made of?

It is a four-amino-acid peptide built from alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine in that order. Its formula is C14H22N4O9, and it is made by chemical synthesis rather than extracted from tissue. The synthetic peptide is a single defined molecule, unlike the pineal extracts it is often compared with.

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