AEDG is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.
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.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide whose four residues are alanine, glutamate, aspartate and glycine, commonly abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its monoisotopic mass is near 390.35 daltons. The peptide carries two acidic side chains, so it is neutral to negatively charged in most aqueous buffers. Published reference summaries usually list it under both spellings, epitalon and epithalon, and treat the two names as the same material.
Storage recommendations center on limiting moisture, heat, and light. The dry powder is generally kept at minus 20 degrees Celsius, and some suppliers recommend minus 80 degrees for long-term archival. Once dissolved, solutions are usually aliquoted and frozen to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which can promote aggregation or degradation. Aqueous stability depends on pH and concentration, and buffered saline is often preferred over plain water for biological work. Stability data specific to epitalon remain limited, so general peptide-handling practices are applied by analogy rather than from product-specific validation.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide with the sequence alanine-glutamate-aspartate-glycine, abbreviated AEDG. Its molecular formula is C14H22N4O9 and its calculated monoisotopic mass is approximately 390.35 daltons. The compound does not occur naturally as a free peptide; it is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Because it contains two acidic residues and no basic residues, the neutral form carries a net negative charge at physiological pH. This charge profile influences how the peptide behaves in solution and during chromatographic analysis.
Laboratory-grade epitalon is typically supplied as a lyophilized powder. Purity is commonly assessed with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, often paired with mass spectrometry to confirm molecular identity. Amino acid analysis and peptide mapping can provide additional confirmation of sequence. Certificates of analysis for research materials frequently report purity above 95 percent, although the methods behind such figures vary between suppliers. The absence of a pharmacopeial monograph means that no single standardized assay defines the compound, so reported results depend on the analytical protocol chosen.
| 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 |
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.
=== Interbellum (1918–1939) === Elements of the Army operated around Mary, Turkmenistan in 1918–19. See Malleson mission and Entente intervention in the Russian Civil War. The army then took part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War of 1919. In the aftermath of the First World War, the Indian Territorial Force and Auxiliary Force (India) were created in the 1920s. The Indian Territorial Force was a part-time, paid, all-volunteer organisation within the army. Its units were primarily made up of European officers and Indian other ranks. The ITF was created by the Indian Territorial Force Act 1920 to replace the Indian section of the Indian Defence Force. It was an all-volunteer force modelled after the British Territorial Army. The European parallel to the ITF was the Auxiliary Force (India). After the First World War the British started the process of Indianisation, by which Indians were promoted into higher officer ranks. In a 1923 census, the British Indian Army consisted of 64,669 British-born soldiers and officers, with 187,432 Indian-born soldiers in comparison. Indian cadets were sent to study in Great Britain at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and were given full commissions as King's Commissioned Indian Officers. The KCIOs were equivalent in every way to British commissioned officers and had full authority over British troops (unlike VCOs). Some KCIOs were attached to British Army units for a part of their careers.
== External links == Transporter Classification Database List at qmul.ac.uk Saier MH, Tran CV, Barabote RD (January 2006). "TCDB: the Transporter Classification Database for membrane transport protein analyses and information". Nucleic Acids Res. 34 (Database issue): D181–6. doi:10.1093/nar/gkj001. PMC 1334385. PMID 16381841. Busch W, Saier MH (2002). "The transporter classification (TC) system, 2002". Crit. Rev. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37 (5): 287–337. doi:10.1080/10409230290771528. PMID 12449427. S2CID 10558982. Classification of human transporters in pharmacology
Some individuals inherit DQ2.5 from one parent and an additional portion of the haplotype (either DQB1*02 or DQA1*05) from the other parent, increasing risk. Less commonly, some individuals inherit the DQA1*05 allele from one parent and the DQB1*02 from the other parent (DQ2.5trans), and these individuals are at similar risk of coeliac disease as those with a single DQ2.5-bearing chromosome 6. Among those with coeliac disease who do not have DQ2.5 (cis or trans) or DQ8 (encoded by the haplotype DQA1*03:DQB1*0302), 2-5% have the DQ2.2 isoform, and the remaining 2% lack DQ2 or DQ8. Other genetic factors have been reported in coeliac disease, but involvement in the disease has variable geographic recognition. Only the HLA-DQ loci show a consistent involvement across the global population. Many of the detected loci are associated with other autoimmune diseases. The prevalence of the HLA-DQ2 genotype and gluten consumption has increased over time. Since untreated coeliac disease can cause serious health problems and affect fertility, it would be expected that HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 would become less common. The opposite is true—they are most common in areas where gluten-rich foods have been eaten for thousands of years. The HLA-DQ2 gene may have been genetically favoured in the past because it helps protect against tooth decay.
Unlike most wealthy OECD countries, Australian law enables employers to not provide all rights of employment, particularly paid holidays and job security, if people are classed as "casual" employees, and in 2023 this meant around 22% of employees. To compensate for the absence of rights, modern awards typically grant a 25% "casual loading" additional pay, but potentially no holidays at all, putting Australia at odds with European Union practice There is also no legal mechanism to prevent employers rates of pay before the 25% loading is added. Under the Fair Work Act 2009 section 15A a casual employee exists if the relationship has an "absence of a firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work", replacing the previous notion that an employee simply accepts they do in a contract. This reversed the decision of the High Court in Workpac Pty Ltd v Rossato, that where a contract states someone is casual, even if the employer is providing them with ongoing work in regular and systematic shifts in reality, they are still casual employees and not entitled to paid holidays under FWA 2009 section 86. Casual workers are protected by unfair dismissal after 6 months, or 12 months for a small business, if they are deemed to work 'on a regular and systematic basis' and have a reasonable expectation of continued employment, but otherwise risk losing job security rights. Since 2021 casual workers must get an offer of a permanent contract offer after 12 months unless there are reasonable grounds to not make the offer.
== Merchandising == The Guinness Storehouse at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin is the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland (attracting over 1.7 million visitors in 2019) where a self-guided tour includes an account of the ingredients used to make the stout and a description of how it is made. Visitors can sample the smells of each Guinness ingredient in the Tasting Rooms, which are coloured with a unique lighting design that emits Guinness's gold and black branding. The Guinness Book of Records started as a Guinness marketing giveaway, based on an idea of its then Managing Director, Sir Hugh Beaver. Its holding company, Guinness World Records Ltd, was owned by Guinness plc, subsequently Diageo, until 2001. The 2025 drama series House of Guinness deals with the growth of the business in 19th century Ireland.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== Early life and education == Howard Walter Florey was born in Malvern, a southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, on 24 September 1898. His surname rhymes with "sorry". He was the only son of Joseph Florey, a bootmaker from Oxfordshire in England, who as a boy moved to London where Florey's grandfather established a bootmaking business. Joseph Florey's first wife was Charlotte Ames, with whom he had two daughters, Charlotte, who was born in 1880, and Anne, who was born in 1882. After his wife contracted pulmonary tuberculosis, the family emigrated to South Australia, where it was hoped that the climate would be more congenial. Her health gradually declined and she died in April 1886. Joseph Florey established his own bootmaking business in Adelaide, and married Bertha Mary Waldham, the daughter of his housekeeper. Their first child together, Hilda, was born on 6 September 1890. She became a bacteriologist and a pioneer of laboratory medicine. A second daughter, Valetta, was born in 1891. Thus, Florey had two older sisters and two older half-sisters. In 1906, the family moved to "Coreega", a mansion in the Adelaide suburb of Mitcham. Florey attended Unley Park School, a local private school, taking the two-mile (3.2 km) trip to school each day in a horse-drawn tram with Mollie Clampett, a friend who lived in the rectory adjacent to Coreega. At school he acquired the lifelong nickname "Floss", this being, like "Florrie", a common diminutive form of "Florence". He transferred to Kyre College, a private boys' school, in 1908.
Isotope masses from: Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. Audi, Georges; Bersillon, Olivier; Blachot, Jean; Wapstra, Aaldert Hendrik (2003), "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties", Nuclear Physics A, 729: 3–128, Bibcode:2003NuPhA.729....3A, doi:10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 3.0 database". Brookhaven National Laboratory. Holden, Norman E. (2004). "11. Table of the Isotopes". In Lide, David R. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0485-9.
== Function == Lactoferrin belongs to the innate immune system. Apart from its main biological function, namely binding and transport of iron ions, lactoferrin also has antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, catalytic, anti-cancer, and anti-allergic functions and properties.
Ethanol (alcohol) is first converted into acetaldehyde, consuming NAD+ twice, before being converted into acetate. The acetate is then converted into acetyl-CoA. When alcohol is consumed in small quantities, the NADH/NAD+ ratio remains in balance enough for the acetyl-CoA to be used by the Krebs cycle for oxidative phosphorylation. However, even moderate amounts of alcohol (1-2 drinks) results in more NADH than NAD+, which inhibits oxidative phosphorylation. When the NADH/NAD+ ratio is disrupted (far more NADH than NAD+), this is called pseudohypoxia. The Krebs cycle needs NAD+ as well as oxygen, for oxidative phosphorylation. Without sufficient NAD+, the impaired aerobic metabolism mimics hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), resulting in excessive use of anaerobic glycolysis and a disrupted pyruvate/lactate ratio (low pyruvate, high lactate). The conversion of pyruvate into lactate produces NAD+, but only enough to maintain anaerobic glycolysis. In chronic excessive alcohol consumption (alcoholism), the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) is used in addition to alcohol dehydrogenase.
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.
Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide built from four amino acids: alanine, glutamate, aspartate, and glycine. It is not extracted from a natural source but made in the laboratory by chemical synthesis. Its short length makes it relatively straightforward to produce at high purity.