Epitalon reconstitution protocol

This protocol describes the reconstitution and storage of lyophilized epitalon (also written epithalon, epithalamin) in standard research workflows. Epitalon is a synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) derived from extracts of the pineal gland — it has been studied predominantly in Russian aging-research literature for effects on telomerase activity and circadian regulation. Values below reflect published handling literature; study design is the responsibility of the qualified investigator.

At a glance

Parameter	Value
Recommended diluent	Bacteriostatic Water (USP, 0.9% benzyl alcohol)
Recommended volume (100 mg vial)	2.0 mL
Final concentration	50 mg/mL
Stability — lyophilized	≥24 months at -20 °C, light-protected, sealed
Stability — reconstituted	30 days at 2–8 °C in original vial
Freeze-thaw	Tolerates 1–2 cycles; aliquot for longer storage

Procedure

1. Equilibrate the vial to room temperature.
2. Sterile prep: wipe stopper with isopropyl. Use sterile syringe and needle.
3. Inject diluent slowly along the inner wall. Epitalon dissolves readily because of its short sequence and small molecular weight (~390 Da).
4. Swirl gently. Do not shake. Dissolution completes within ~30 seconds.
5. Verify: solution should be clear and colorless.

Compound notes

Epitalon is one of the smallest compounds in the Merit catalog — its 4-residue sequence gives it both advantages and disadvantages for research handling. Advantages: dissolves quickly, tolerant of pH and ionic strength variation, mechanically robust during reconstitution. Disadvantages: short plasma half-life means in-vivo research models typically use daily or twice-daily administration; the small molecule passes through standard 3-kDa filtration cutoffs unchanged, which matters for some workup procedures.

Most epitalon research in the literature comes from V.Kh. Khavinson's group at the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, who originally characterized the compound's effects on telomere maintenance and circadian gene expression. Published research outside this lab is more limited, so when planning experiments, anchor on the primary literature rather than review articles.

Storage

Reconstituted epitalon is stable for approximately 30 days at 2–8 °C. For longer storage, aliquot into sterile single-use tubes and freeze at -20 °C or colder. Lyophilized stability is ≥24 months at -20 °C light-protected.

Notes

This protocol describes reconstitution parameters from published handling literature. It is not a recommendation for any specific research protocol or design. For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.

References

1. Khavinson VKh, Bondarev IE, Butyugov AA. Epithalon compound induces telomerase activity and telomere elongation in human somatic cells. Bull Exp Biol Med 2003;135:590–592. PMID: 12937682