If you have been reading about aliquot 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 2026-08-01. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
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.
Identity and purity are established with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The chromatogram shows the main peak and any truncated or oxidised by-products, while the mass spectrum confirms the expected 390 dalton mass. Amino acid analysis can corroborate composition when a sample's origin is uncertain. Counterion content, particularly residual trifluoroacetate from purification, is frequently reported alongside purity because it shifts the net mass of the solid.
Reference material is normally supplied as a lyophilised powder in a sealed vial. Product literature typically recommends storage at minus twenty degrees Celsius or colder, protected from light and moisture. Freeze-thaw cycling is usually avoided because repeated condensation can introduce water into the vial. Working solutions are commonly prepared fresh, aliquoted, and kept cold for short periods rather than stored at ambient temperature. Labelling the date of opening helps track how long a vial has been in use.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | Derived from the four constituent residues |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 Da | Monoisotopic value, confirmed by mass spectrometry |
| Residue sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Read from the N-terminus to the C-terminus |
| Common synonyms | Epithalon; AEDG | Both forms appear in reference catalogues |
| Net charge near neutral pH | Negative | Two acidic side chains give a low isoelectric point |
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.
Short peptides such as AEDG are normally supplied as a freeze-dried solid and are kept dry, cold, and shielded from light. Holding at minus twenty degrees Celsius is common for the long term, while a refrigerator suffices for brief periods before use. The material takes up moisture to some degree, so containers should stay sealed and be allowed to reach room temperature before opening, which limits condensation on the contents. Repeated warming and cooling of a single container is discouraged because it admits water and can lower the amount of intact peptide.
Dissolution is usually performed in water or a suitable aqueous buffer, and the resulting liquid is divided into single-use portions before freezing. Freeze-thaw cycling is a recognised source of loss for short peptides, since each cycle can encourage aggregation or adsorption onto container walls. Working solutions are generally kept cold and used within a short window, although published stability data specific to epitalon are thin. Containers should be marked with concentration and date, and solutions examined for cloudiness before use.
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.
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.
== History == Scott Reismanis, a website developer from Melbourne, Australia, first pursued web development as a hobby, creating two websites dedicated to video games. Afterwards, he purchased the ChaosRealm.com domain and formed the Realm Network. The network comprised over twenty websites, one of which was ModDB's predecessor, ModRealm. Launched in 1998, ModRealm was initially dedicated to Counter-Strike cheat codes before becoming a modding website. The website became defunct in December 2001, when its network was shut down after its hosting service, Playnet, filed for bankruptcy. Reismanis was motivated to start a new website by the difficulty of searching for mods on the then-dominant search engine, AltaVista, much less mods released to the public. He began ModDB's development in January 2002, following IMDb's structure in the process. The website was launched as Mod Database in June 2002. It differed from his earlier websites in that its articles were managed by the community, not only the website's founder. By January 2005, ModDB listed 49,539 members and 2,191 mods. In 2006, the ModDB team launched AddonDB, whose aim was to list additional content for games not applicable under the category of game modifications. This includes models, skins and maps. Just one year into service, it was merged into ModDB.
An oxytocin receptor agonist is a compound that acts as an agonist of the oxytocin receptor. They include peptides like oxytocin and carbetocin and small-molecules like LIT-001 and LIT-002. Peptide oxytocin receptor agonists are used medically to induce labor, promote lactation, and for certain other uses. Oxytocin receptor agonists are of theoretical interest for the potential treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders with social symptoms, such as autism, social anxiety, and psychopathy. Small-molecule oxytocin receptor agonists are considered to be more promising for such uses due to better potential pharmacokinetic profiles, such as blood–brain barrier permeability, elimination half-lives, and oral bioavailability. The entactogen MDMA robustly increases oxytocin levels, by 4- to 8-fold, and this is thought to be involved in its entactogenic effects, including its euphoric, anxiolytic, and prosocial effects. In people with arginine vasopressin deficiency (central diabetes insipidus), who also have oxytocin deficiency, MDMA fails to elevate oxytocin levels and shows greatly blunted entactogenic effects. Accordingly, carbetocin partially substitutes for MDMA in drug discrimination tests in rodents, whereas the peptide oxytocin receptor antagonist atosiban interfered with MDMA discrimination. In addition, oxytocin receptor antagonists have been found to block the prosocial effects of MDMA in rodents. Social isolation has been found to decrease oxytocin receptor levels in rodents, whereas levels of oxytocin were unchanged.
=== 2021–present: Post-breakup activity and abandoned fourteenth studio album === The 2021 retirement of King Crimson's "Seven-Headed Beast" line-up, and Fripp's subsequent statement that the band had finished, left a certain amount of written/performed King Crimson music unrecorded in the studio, although some of that material had appeared on live recordings from the time. New original songs performed in concert by the band had included "Meltdown", "Radical Action", "Radical Action II", "The Errors", and more. Versions of two Fripp/Jakszyk songs originally intended for King Crimson ("Uncertain Times" and "Separation") had also emerged on Jakszyk's 2020 solo album Secrets and Lies, with participation from Fripp, Harrison, Levin and Collins. Following the most recent retirement of the band, Jakko Jakszyk hinted, suggested and ultimately stated that this material will see formal release as a studio album, the band's first in over twenty years since the release of The Power to Believe. In August 2021, Jakszyk referred to the existence of "about forty to fifty minutes' worth of new (King Crimson) stuff, a number of songs I've co-written with Robert and some instrumental things he's written.
The tea leaves are packaged loosely in a canister, paper bag, or other container such as a tea chest. Some whole teas, such as rolled gunpowder tea leaves, which resist crumbling, are vacuum-packed for freshness in aluminised packaging for storage and retail. The loose tea is individually measured for use, allowing for flexibility and flavour control at the expense of convenience. Strainers, tea balls, tea presses, filtered teapots, and infusion bags prevent loose leaves from floating in the tea and over-brewing. A traditional method uses a three-piece lidded teacup called a gaiwan, the lid of which is tilted to decant the tea into a different cup for consumption.
== Conservation == The conservation of hydrothermal vents has been the subject of sometimes heated discussion in the oceanographic community for the last 20 years. It has been pointed out that it may be that those causing the most damage to these fairly rare habitats are scientists. There have been attempts to forge agreements over the behaviour of scientists investigating vent sites, but, although there is an agreed code of practice, there is no formal international and legally binding agreement. Mineral extraction A key talking point surrounding the conservation of hydrothermal vent ecosystems is deep sea mining. There are four main mineral resources that are under consideration for commercial extraction: manganese nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, Seafloor massive sulfide deposits and phosphorite nodules. Seafloor massive sulfide depositions surrounding hydrothermal vents are a central area of discussion. As discussed above, black smokers produce an abundance of sulfides primarily through the production of Iron Sulfides, namely Pyrite. This sulfide production leads to high sulfide deposition local to many black smokers. Central to the conservation conversation, is weighing the possibilities for sustainable use of newly harvested sulfide against the effects of commercially attaining this sulfide via deep sea mining. The effects of commercially extracting deep sea minerals are largely unknown due to the extremely dynamic nature of a hydrothermal vents ecosystem.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Jerini AG was a pharmaceutical company based in Berlin, Germany, which focused on the discovery and development of novel peptide-based drugs. Using a proprietary technology platform, Peptides-to-Drugs (P2D), Jerini pursued disease indications for which limited, inadequate, or no treatment options exist. As a result, Jerini established a drug pipeline composed of its own programs as well as others in collaboration with partners. Jerini's commercialization strategy was to market new drugs in niche indications independently and in larger indications with partners. Jerini was acquired by Shire plc in 2008. Jerini started operations in 1994. Jerini's subsidiaries Jerini US Inc. and JPT Peptide Technologies GmbH, provider of peptides and peptide microarrays, were acquired by Theracode GmbH, Mainz in 2009. Jerini was financed with venture capital provided by TVM and HealthCap. It went public on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (JI4), and had raised a total of over 130 million Euro in public and private financing to date.
Mahathir revived the plan for a "pan-Asian" railway network in 1995, an idea with roots in the early 1900s and later resurfaced in a 1960 UN proposal for a trans-Asian railway spanning 118,000 kilometres. In the Post–Cold War era, as regional development cooperation gained momentum in East Asia, Mahathir proposed the construction of the Trans-Asian Railway linking Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and other countries in the central and southern peninsula to China. This was an early example of ASEAN's approach to regional connectivity through infrastructure cooperation. His push led ASEAN to focus on three main routes from Kunming to Bangkok, with extensions south to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. In 1996, during a visit to Kazakhstan, Mahathir emphasized the railway's role in connecting Southeast Asia with China and, eventually, Central Asia, granting landlocked nations access to the sea. His comments also foreshadowed China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), highlighting Kazakhstan's strategic position between China, Russia, and Europe.
Since 2023 the European Commission Regulation 2023/915 states that processing contaminants of food though PAHs are not allowed to exceed a sum of 4 PAHs for BaP in order to protect public health. BaP is discharged in wastewater by industries such as smelters, particularly iron and steel mills and aluminium smelters.
gene product Any of the biochemical material resulting from the expression of a gene, most commonly interpreted as the functional mRNA transcript produced by transcription of the gene or the fully constructed protein produced by translation of the transcript, though non-coding RNA molecules such as transfer RNAs may also be considered gene products. A measurement of the quantity of a given gene product that is detectable in a cell or tissue is sometimes used to infer how active the corresponding gene is.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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.
No. The two spellings refer to the same tetrapeptide, and the difference reflects transliteration from Russian. Laboratories and catalogues use both forms interchangeably. The material is also indexed as AEDG, taken from the one-letter codes of its residues.
Epithalamin is a mixed preparation derived from animal pineal tissue and contains many peptides. Epitalon is one synthetic sequence chosen for study from that broader mixture. Statements about one do not transfer directly to the other.
Sealed lyophilised powder is normally kept at minus twenty degrees Celsius or below, away from light and moisture. Vials are allowed to reach room temperature before opening to limit condensation. Repeated warming and cooling of the same vial is discouraged.