Deamidation comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Updated 2026-03-27. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
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.
Storage and handling follow conventional peptide practice. Lyophilized epitalon is typically kept refrigerated or frozen, protected from moisture and light, and allowed to equilibrate to room temperature before opening to avoid condensation. Once dissolved, aqueous solutions are usually stored cold and used within a short period, since dilute peptide solutions can support microbial growth and may slowly degrade. The absence of cysteine and methionine reduces, but does not eliminate, oxidation concerns during long-term storage.
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.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amino acid sequence | Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly | Linear tetrapeptide, also written AEDG |
| Molecular mass | About 390.35 g/mol | Value calculated from the sequence |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Lyophilised material forms a loose cake |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Also dissolves in isotonic saline |
| Storage | -20 °C, desiccated | Aliquot solutions to avoid freeze–thaw cycling |
Interest in epitalon is usually discussed within the broader field of short peptide bioregulators, a category that includes other synthetic di-, tri-, and tetrapeptides studied by the same research group. These compounds share a common rationale: that small fragments of tissue-derived proteins can retain biological activity and can be produced reproducibly. The category as a whole remains outside mainstream pharmacological consensus, and epitalon specifically has a limited presence in independent, non-Russian research literature, which shapes how its evidence base is described.
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.
Identity testing for epitalon relies on reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for purity and mass spectrometry for mass confirmation. Because the sequence contains no tryptophan or tyrosine, ultraviolet detection at 280 nanometres is insensitive, so chromatographic methods usually monitor absorbance near 214 nanometres, where the peptide backbone absorbs. Electrospray ionisation or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation then checks the intact mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Peptide mapping or amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis can supplement these measurements, although such confirmatory work is seldom reported on commercial certificates of analysis.
Stability of the tetrapeptide follows ordinary peptide chemistry rather than any unusual structural feature. The aspartate-glycine pair is prone to aspartimide formation under mildly basic or neutral conditions, and deamidation can follow, altering both mass and chromatographic retention. Dry lyophilised powder kept at or below minus twenty degrees Celsius is the usual handling recommendation, with repeated freeze-thaw cycles avoided. Once dissolved in neutral aqueous buffer, degradation proceeds over days to weeks depending on pH and temperature, while acidic conditions generally slow the aspartimide route. A formal stability-indicating study has not been published in the indexed literature.
Proposed mechanisms centre on cell-culture observations rather than a defined receptor interaction. Several reports describe increased expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit after exposure of cultured human cells, and the authors attributed the effect to short peptide fragments entering the nucleus and influencing gene transcription. No receptor for the tetrapeptide has been identified, and the free peptide is expected to be degraded rapidly by plasma peptidases. Whether any measurable fraction reaches intact tissues after administration remains an unresolved question rather than an established finding.
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.
== Side effects == Skin lightening creams have commonly contained mercury, hydroquinone, and corticosteroids. Because these compounds can induce both superficial and internal side effects, they are illegal to use and market in multiple nations. However, various chemical studies indicate that these compounds continue to be used in sold cosmetic products, though they are not explicitly declared as ingredients. Prolonged usage of mercury-based products can ultimately discolor the skin, as mercury will accumulate within the dermis. Mercury toxicity can cause acute symptoms such as pneumonitis and gastric irritation. However, according to a study by Antoine Mahé and his colleagues, mercurial compounds can also contribute to long-term renal and neurological complications, the latter of which includes insomnia, memory loss, and irritability. Other studies have explored the impact of hydroquinone exposure on health. Hydroquinone rapidly absorbs into the body via dermal contact; long-term usage has been found to cause nephrotoxicity and benzene-induced leukemia in the bone marrow. A study by Pascal del Giudice and Pinier Yves indicated that hydroquinone usage is strongly correlated with the development of ochronosis, cataracts, patchy depigmentation, and contact dermatitis. Ochronosis can lead to lesions and squamous cell carcinomas. While hydroquinone has not been officially classified as a carcinogen, it can metabolize into carcinogenic derivatives and induce genetic changes in the form of DNA damages.
The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) was established in 2006. TDAP is the successor organization to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) and is mandated to have a holistic view of global trade development rather than only the ‘export promotion’ perspective of its predecessor. It is designated as the premier trade organization of the country.
== Epidemiology == The National Eye Institute reports keratoconus is the most common corneal dystrophy in the United States, affecting about one in 2,000 Americans, but some reports place the figure as high as one in 500. In the pediatric populations, ages three to 18, the prevalence of keratoconus was found to be as high as one in 334 children. The inconsistency may be due to variations in diagnostic criteria, with some cases of severe astigmatism interpreted as those of keratoconus, and vice versa. A long-term study found a mean incidence rate of 2.0 new cases per 100,000 population per year. Some studies have suggested a higher prevalence amongst females, or that people of South Asian ethnicity are 4.4 times as likely to develop keratoconus as Caucasians, and are also more likely to be affected with the condition earlier. Keratoconus is normally bilateral (affecting both eyes) although the distortion is usually asymmetric and is rarely completely identical in both corneas. Unilateral cases tend to be uncommon, and may in fact be very rare if a very mild condition in the better eye is simply below the limit of clinical detection. It is common for keratoconus to be diagnosed first in one eye and not until later in the other. As the condition then progresses in both eyes, the vision in the earlier-diagnosed eye will often remain poorer than that in its fellow.
===== MeSH D08.811.682.047 – alcohol oxidoreductases ===== MeSH D08.811.682.047.050 – acetoin dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.070 – alcohol dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150 – carbohydrate dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.225 – fructuronate reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.250 – galactose dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.270 – glucose dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.270.500 – glucose 1-dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.300 – glucosephosphate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.600 – phosphogluconate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.650 – phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700 – sugar alcohol dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.075 – aldehyde reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.237 – d-xylulose reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.400 – glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.400.500 – glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (nad+) MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.437 – l-gulonolactone oxidase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.475 – l-iditol 2-dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.700.649 – mannitol dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.150.900 – uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.180 – choline dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.210 – galactose oxidase MeSH D08.811.682.047.239 – glucose oxidase MeSH D08.811.682.047.370 – homoserine dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.370.060 – aspartokinase homoserine dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.385 – 3-hydroxyacyl coa dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.385.415 – hydroxymethylglutaryl coa reductases MeSH D08.811.682.047.385.415.250 – hydroxymethylglutaryl-coa reductases, nad-dependent MeSH D08.811.682.047.385.415.750 – hydroxymethylglutaryl-coa-reductases, nadp-dependent MeSH D08.811.682.047.393 – hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.428 – Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.432 – hydroxypyruvate reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.436 – hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.174 – 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.174.300 – 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.174.600 – 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.350 – 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.350.100 – 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (B-specific) MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.350.150 – cholesterol oxidase MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.350.700 – progesterone reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.375 – 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.375.280 – estradiol dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.400 – 20-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.400.074 – 20alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.436.400.150 – cortisone reductase MeSH D08.811.682.047.485 – imp dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.497 – isocitrate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.500 – 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.524 – ketol-acid reductoisomerase MeSH D08.811.682.047.551 – lactate dehydrogenases MeSH D08.811.682.047.551.249 – epsilon-crystallins MeSH D08.811.682.047.551.400 – l-lactate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.551.500 – l-lactate dehydrogenase (cytochrome) MeSH D08.811.682.047.605 – malate dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.748 – malate dehydrogenase (nadp+) MeSH D08.811.682.047.892 – xanthine dehydrogenase MeSH D08.811.682.047.928 – xanthine oxidase
In series 3, Kenny is said to have helped Eric through a drinking problem following Eric's marital separation. Kenny also reveals he recently got married himself. Eric admits to Yasmin that he regrets showing Kenny a vulnerable side of himself. Eric, recently promoted to partner, is told by Adler that he needs to fire someone on the trading floor to prove his worth. Instead of firing Yasmin or Robert like he initially considered, Eric fires Kenny, threatening to expose his past treatment of Yasmin if he does not go quietly. Kenny is later shown to have joined Goldman Sachs alongside fellow ex-Pierpoint employees Daria Greenock and Jackie Walsh, and the three agree to help Harper short Pierpoint. In series 4, Kenny now works at Deutsche Bank, and Harper and Eric, now running their own hedge fund, enlist him to broker their short of payment processing startup Tender. Eric apologizes to Kenny for firing him. Kenny later tells Harper and Eric that they have breached their risk limits due to Tender's share price continuing to rise, forcing Deutsche to issue a margin call on their firm. Harper liquidates several of her firm's other positions to post more collateral, and sends Sweetpea and Kwabena to Accra in a last-ditch effort to uncover evidence against Tender. The Tender short is ultimately successful, and Harper calls Kenny to close the position after Tender's stock plummets, netting SternTao £110 million.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Extravascular hemolysis === Extravascular hemolysis refers to hemolysis taking place in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. In this case little hemoglobin escapes into blood plasma. The macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system in these organs engulf and destroy structurally-defective red blood cells, or those with antibodies attached, and release unconjugated bilirubin into the blood plasma circulation. Typically, the spleen destroys mildly abnormal red blood cells or those coated with IgG-type antibodies, while severely abnormal red blood cells or those coated with IgM-type antibodies are destroyed in the circulation or in the liver. If extravascular hemolysis is extensive, hemosiderin can be deposited in the spleen, bone marrow, kidney, liver, and other organs, resulting in hemosiderosis.
== Ongoing challenges and future directions == Despite the advances in technology and theory, lichen systematics faces several challenges as it moves forward, ranging from practical issues of workforce and resources to conceptual debates about how we define and name species.
Argon is used to displace oxygen- and moisture-containing air in packaging material to extend the shelf-lives of the contents (argon has the European food additive code E938). Aerial oxidation, hydrolysis, and other chemical reactions that degrade the products are retarded or prevented entirely. High-purity chemicals and pharmaceuticals are sometimes packed and sealed in argon. In winemaking, argon is used in a variety of activities to provide a barrier against oxygen at the liquid surface, which can spoil wine by fueling both microbial metabolism (as with acetic acid bacteria) and standard redox chemistry. Argon is sometimes used as the propellant in aerosol cans. Argon is also used as a preservative for such products as varnish, polyurethane, and paint, by displacing air to prepare a container for storage. Since 2002, the American National Archives stores important national documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution within argon-filled cases to inhibit their degradation. Argon is preferable to the helium that had been used in the preceding five decades, because helium gas escapes through the intermolecular pores in most containers and must be regularly replaced.
=== Neurological and neurodegenerative disorders === There has been extensive research into the potential neuroprotective effects of metformin in developmental and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, certain types of epilepsy, and fragile X syndrome, with mixed results. Preliminary studies have examined whether metformin can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and whether there is a correlation between type 2 diabetes and the risk of Alzheimer's disease. While metformin may reduce body weight in persons with fragile X syndrome, whether it improves neurological or psychiatric symptoms is uncertain.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Despite the underlying notion of the lab as a confined space for experts, the term "laboratory" is also increasingly applied to workshop spaces such as Living Labs, Fab Labs, or Hackerspaces, in which people meet to work on societal problems or make prototypes, working collaboratively or sharing resources. This development is inspired by new, participatory approaches to science and innovation and relies on user-centred design methods and concepts like Open innovation or User innovation. One distinctive feature of work in Open Labs is the phenomenon of translation, driven by the different backgrounds and levels of expertise of the people involved.
the reduction of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (somatomedin C) in adults with acromegaly who have had inadequate response to or cannot be treated with surgical resection, pituitary irradiation, and bromocriptine mesylate at maximally tolerated doses severe diarrhea/flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors in adults profuse watery diarrhea associated with vasoactive intestinal peptide tumors (VIPomas) in adults
=== Pharmacokinetics === In vivo O-dealkylation releases NPA, yielding an orally effective, relatively long-acting dopaminergic agent that acts at central dopamine receptors. Evidence for this prodrug behavior includes blockade of MDO-NPA’s behavioral effects and prevention of NPA formation by the microsomal oxidase inhibitor SKF-525A.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
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.
AEDG is the one-letter code for the four amino acids alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine in that order. The same molecule is written in three-letter form as Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly.
Identity is normally confirmed by mass spectrometry against the calculated mass of roughly 390.35 g/mol. Purity is then estimated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.
Identity is normally confirmed by mass spectrometry, which checks the measured mass against the expected value near 390 daltons. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is used alongside it to assess purity. Amino acid analysis can provide additional composition data.