Overview of Epitalon - Highly Bioactive Pineal Tetrapeptide with Promising Properties
Araj SK, Brzezik J, Madra-Gackowska K, Szeleszczuk L (2025). International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Summary
A review pulling together 25 years of work on epitalon, a four-amino-acid peptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) designed from the amino acid composition of epithalamin, an extract of the bovine pineal gland. The authors describe reported effects on melatonin synthesis, interleukin-2 messenger RNA, thymocyte activity and several enzymes including telomerase, and state that it remains uncertain whether these are the only mechanisms at work. They also note how little physico-chemical and structural work has been done on the peptide relative to the volume of biological claims. The review covers in vitro, animal and computational studies; there is no human trial in it.