Epithalon: Research, Handling and Batch Documentation

Identity and research status

Also referred to as

Epitalon, Epithalone, AEDG Peptide, Epithalamin analog

Sequence

Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (H-Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly-OH)

Single-letter Code

AEDG

Molecular Formula

C14H22N4O9

Molecular Weight

390.35 g/mol

Monoisotopic Mass

390.1387 Da

CAS Number

307297-39-8

PubChem CID

219042

UNII

O65P17785G

ChEBI ID

CHEBI:230091

Also Known As

Epitalon, Epithalone, AEDG peptide

Appearance

White lyophilised powder

XLogP

-5.5

Topological Polar Surface Area

225 square angstroms

Hydrogen Bond Donors / Acceptors

7 / 10

Ionisation at pH 7.4

Net negative, from two free side-chain carboxylates and a free C-terminal carboxyl

Terminal Modifications

None; free N-terminal amine and free C-terminal acid

CAS number

307297-39-8

Mechanism, in brief

The finding the compound is known for came from a 2003 experiment in telomerase-negative human fetal fibroblast culture. Adding Epithalon induced expression of the telomerase catalytic subunit, produced measurable telomerase enzymatic activity, and elongated telomeres in cells that had none of that activity to begin with. Treated cultures kept dividing past the 44th passage while controls stopped at the 34th. The interpretation offered was reactivation of a telomerase gene that somatic cells normally keep silent.

1. Cell entry. AEDG carries three free carboxylates and one free amine, giving it an XLogP of -5.5 and a topological polar surface area of 225 square angstroms. Short peptides of this class are reported to reach the nucleus and nucleolus intact; no transporter has been named.
2. DNA and histone contact. Modelling places AEDG in the major groove at ATTTC and ATTTTC blocks, including sites in the telomerase promoter region, and on the DNA-contacting arms of histones H1/3 and H1/6.
3. Chromatin decondensation. In cultured lymphocytes from donors aged 76 to 80, Epitalon activated ribosomal genes and decondensed pericentromeric structural heterochromatin, releasing genes silenced by age-related condensation of euchromatic regions.
4. hTERT transcription. In normal human fibroblasts and epithelial cells, hTERT mRNA and telomerase enzymatic activity rise dose-dependently after treatment.
5. Telomere extension. Telomere length increases measurably by qPCR. In telomerase-competent and ALT-competent cancer lines the same length increase occurs by the recombination route instead.

The full research write-up, including the findings behind each claim and the model each came from, is on the Epithalon 10mg 10mg page.

Vial sizes available

Every size of Epithalon Volta lists, in stock or not. Each is a separate catalogue page with its own batch number and specification table.

• Epithalon 10mg 10mgBatch #: VPEP10100
  In stock
• Epithalon 50mg 50mgBatch #: VPEP50100
  Restocking

Purity and batch documentation

Volta's release specification is >99% (HPLC). That is a threshold we set. >99% is the specification every batch is released to. The figure on a certificate is what a laboratory measured for one lot.

No third-party certificate has been published for Epithalonyet. The certificates Volta does publish, with the laboratory's own verification link on each, are in the certificate archive.

Research on Epithalon

Handling and stability

Regulatory context

United States

Not FDA-approved. Removed from FDA Category 2 on April 15, 2026. PCAC review scheduled July 23-24, 2026. Previously classified as Category 2, prohibiting compounding. Research chemical.

Canada

Not approved by Health Canada.

United Kingdom

Not MHRA-approved.

• the legal status of research peptides in Canada
• Health Canada's regulatory position

Primary sources

1. Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon peptide induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2003). doi:10.1023/a:1025493705728
2. Al-Dulaimi S, Thomas R, Matta S, Roberts T. Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology (2025). doi:10.1007/s10522-025-10315-x
3. Al-Dulaimi S, Thomas R, Matta S, Roberts T. Correction: Epitalon increases telomere length in human cell lines through telomerase upregulation or ALT activity. Biogerontology (2025). doi:10.1007/s10522-025-10326-8
4. Araj SK, Brzezik J, Madra-Gackowska K, Szeleszczuk L. Overview of Epitalon: Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising Properties. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025). doi:10.3390/ijms26062691
5. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA, Alimova IN, Rosenfeld SV, Zavarzina NY, Semenchenko AV, Yashin AI. Effect of Epitalon on biomarkers of aging, life span and spontaneous tumor incidence in female Swiss-derived SHR mice. Biogerontology (2003). doi:10.1023/a:1025114230714
6. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VK, Provinciali M, Alimova IN, Baturin DA, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA, Imyanitov EN, Mancini R, Franceschi C. Inhibitory effect of the peptide epitalon on the development of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. International Journal of Cancer (2002). doi:10.1002/ijc.10570
7. Djeridane Y, Khavinson VKh, Anisimov VN, Touitou Y. Effect of a synthetic pineal tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) on melatonin secretion by the pineal gland of young and old rats. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation (2003). doi:10.1007/BF03345159
8. Khavinson VK, Kopylov AT, Vaskovsky BV, Ryzhak GA, Lin'kova NS. Identification of Peptide AEDG in the Polypeptide Complex of the Pineal Gland. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2017). doi:10.1007/s10517-017-3922-8
9. Khavinson V, Diomede F, Mironova E, Linkova N, Trofimova S, Trubiani O, Caputi S, Sinjari B. AEDG Peptide (Epitalon) Stimulates Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis during Neurogenesis: Possible Epigenetic Mechanism. Molecules (2020). doi:10.3390/molecules25030609
10. Sinjari B, Diomede F, Khavinson V, Mironova E, Linkova N, Trofimova S, Trubiani O, Caputi S. Short Peptides Protect Oral Stem Cells from Ageing. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports (2020). doi:10.1007/s12015-019-09921-3
11. Yue X, Liu SL, Guo JN, Meng TG, Zhang XR, Li HX, Song CY, Wang ZB, Schatten H, Sun QY, Guo XP. Epitalon protects against post-ovulatory aging-related damage of mouse oocytes in vitro. Aging (Albany NY) (2022). doi:10.18632/aging.204007
12. Ullah S, Haider Z, Perera CD, Lee SH, Idrees M, Park S, Kong IK. Epitalon-activated telomerase enhance bovine oocyte maturation rate and post-thawed embryo development. Life Sciences (2025). doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2025.123381
13. Gatta M, Dovizio M, Milillo C, Ruggieri AG, Sallese M, Antonucci I, Trofimov A, Khavinson V, Trofimova S, Bruno A, Ballerini P. The Antioxidant Tetrapeptide Epitalon Enhances Delayed Wound Healing in an in Vitro Model of Diabetic Retinopathy. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports (2025). doi:10.1007/s12015-025-10911-x
14. Khavinson V, Shataeva L, Chernova A. DNA double-helix binds regulatory peptides similarly to transcription factors. Neuroendocrinology Letters (2005). PMID 15990728
15. Khavinson VKh, Tarnovskaya SI, Linkova NS, Pronyaeva VE, Shataeva LK, Yakutseni PP. Short cell-penetrating peptides: a model of interactions with gene promoter sites. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2013). doi:10.1007/s10517-013-1961-3
16. Khavinson VKh, Lezhava TA, Monaselidze JR, Jokhadze TA, Dvalishvili NA, Bablishvili NK, Trofimova SV. Peptide Epitalon activates chromatin at the old age. Neuroendocrinology Letters (2003). PMID 14647006
17. Khavinson VK, Izmaylov DM, Obukhova LK, Malinin VV. Effect of epitalon on the lifespan increase in Drosophila melanogaster. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development (2000). doi:10.1016/s0047-6374(00)00217-7
18. Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Popovich IG, Zabezhinski MA. Inhibitory effect of peptide Epitalon on colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats. Cancer Letters (2002). doi:10.1016/s0304-3835(02)00090-3
19. Kossoy G, Anisimov VN, Ben-Hur H, Kossoy N, Zusman I. Effect of the synthetic pineal peptide epitalon on spontaneous carcinogenesis in female C3H/He mice. In Vivo (2006). PMID 16634527
20. Khavinson VKh, Razumovsky MI, Trofimova SV, Razumovskaya AM. Retinoprotective effect of Epithalon in Campbell rats of various ages. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2003). doi:10.1023/a:1024931812822
21. Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Antonyuk-Shcheglova IA. Geroprotective effect of epithalamine (pineal gland peptide preparation) in elderly subjects with accelerated aging. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2006). doi:10.1007/s10517-006-0365-z
22. Ivko OM, Linkova NS, Ilina AR, Sharova AA, Ryzhak GA. AEDG peptide regulates human circadian rhythms genes expression during pineal gland accelerated aging. Advances in Gerontology (2020). PMID 33280326
23. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Epitalon, PubChem Compound Summary CID 219042. PubChem (2026)