Epithalamin

Epithalamine, pineal polypeptide complex, "pineal extract"; parent of the synthetic tetrapeptide Epitalon (#13)

Longevity & cellular

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Summary

Class: Polypeptide extract (mixture of low-molecular-weight peptides, roughly 1–10 kDa) prepared from the pineal glands of calves by acetic-acid extraction; not a single defined molecule
Mechanism: Reported to restore age-declined melatonin secretion, normalise circadian hormone rhythms, raise antioxidant enzyme activity and, in the group's reports, lengthen telomeres — mostly from one research group over four decades
Routes studied: Intramuscular injection (human studies and rodents); oral capsules (later marketed forms)
Dose range reported: Human studies: 10 mg intramuscularly daily for 10 days, repeated every 6 months, for years (Korkushko 2006). Rodent: ~0.1–0.5 mg per animal, 5 days/month. Community-reported: as above, or oral 1–2 capsules/day in courses. No independently validated dose
Half-life: Not meaningful for a mixture; individual peptides are expected to clear within minutes to hours
Storage: Lyophilised: refrigerate, protect from light. Reconstituted: refrigerate, community practice is use within ~4 weeks
Regulatory status: Registered as a medicine in Russia (historically) †; not approved elsewhere

Doses are as reported in studies or by the community — never recommendations.

1What it is

Epithalamin is the original pineal "bioregulator" developed in Leningrad in the 1970s–80s by Vladimir Khavinson and Vyacheslav Morozov. It is not a single peptide but an extract — a mixture of small peptides pulled out of calf pineal glands with acetic acid. It was studied for decades in rodents and in Russian and Ukrainian geriatric clinics and was registered as a medicine in the Soviet Union and later Russia. In the 1990s the group identified a four-amino-acid sequence (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, Epitalon) which they report reproduces its effects; Epitalon has largely replaced Epithalamin in research and in community use, and has its own profile (#13).

Because it is an animal-tissue extract, batch composition varies and the active component has never been fully defined. This matters: the human results below were obtained with an injectable extract made under the originating group's conditions, not necessarily with what circulates today. Almost all evidence is from that one group; independent replication is absent.

2How it's thought to work

The group's model, built up over many papers, holds that Epithalamin:

Restores the pineal gland's night-time melatonin output in old animals and elderly people, re-synchronising circadian rhythms of cortisol, insulin and other hormones (Goncharova 2005; Anisimov 1994).

Normalises hypothalamic sensitivity to feedback from sex steroids and glucose, which the group frames as "resetting" the ageing neuroendocrine system.

Raises antioxidant defences (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase) and lowers lipid peroxidation markers.

Via Epitalon, activates telomerase in cultured human cells and lengthens telomeres (the group's Epitalon work; see #13).

Reduces spontaneous tumour incidence in long-lived rodent cohorts, which the group attributes to these combined effects.

Proposed: a pineal peptide preparation reported to raise melatonin and lengthen life in rodents. The human trials are small, old and not independently repeated.Schematic — not to scale

3What the research shows

Lifespan and tumour incidence in rodents

Over twenty years of rodent cohorts from the group, Epithalamin given in monthly courses from middle age increased mean lifespan by roughly 10–30% in several rat and mouse strains and reduced spontaneous tumour incidence, with raised pineal and serum melatonin (Anisimov 1994, Ann N Y Acad Sci — a review of that work; Anisimov & Khavinson 2010). Single-group; results vary by strain and experiment. [1][5]

Neuroendocrine and pineal function in aged primates

In old rhesus monkeys, Epithalamin and Epitalon restored evening melatonin rise and improved glucose and insulin responses toward those of young animals (Goncharova 2005, Exp Gerontol). Small numbers, single group. [3]

Graded B (uncontrolled or weakly controlled)

Mortality and "ageing rate" in elderly people

A Kiev geriatric cohort followed for up to 12–15 years reported that elderly people with "accelerated ageing" given 6-monthly Epithalamin courses had lower mortality, better preserved cardiovascular, endocrine and immune indices, and higher melatonin than comparison groups (Korkushko 2006, Bull Exp Biol Med; summarised in Khavinson 2002). The comparison groups were not randomised, blinding is unclear, and the work has not been replicated outside the originating network. This is the strongest human evidence for any Khavinson bioregulator — and it is still hypothesis-level by modern standards. [2][4]

Melatonin, antioxidant enzymes and immune indices in humans

Small studies in the same network report raised night-time melatonin and antioxidant enzyme activity after courses (Khavinson 2002). Small, uncontrolled. [2]

Cancer outcomes in humans

Russian-language reports from the 1980s–90s describe Epithalamin alongside standard treatment in breast and other cancers; uncontrolled and not appraisable here.

4Reported side effects and interactions

Literature-reported

The group reports good tolerability over long follow-up with no serious adverse events attributed to the extract. No independent safety data. As an animal-tissue extract there is a theoretical prion and allergen consideration that the published work does not address.

Community-reported

Injection-site reactions; drowsiness or vivid dreams (consistent with a melatonin effect); occasional headache. Sparse.

Theoretical. Raising melatonin and altering hormonal rhythms could affect sleep medicines, blood pressure and glucose; effects on reproductive hormones are plausible from the mechanism and unmeasured in modern terms.

Interactions. None established. Additive sedation with melatonin or hypnotics is plausible.

Markers researchers commonly monitor

No independently validated markers. From the group's own human studies and mechanism, members commonly discuss:

Marker	Why it's watched
Melatonin (evening/night saliva or urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin)	the primary reported effect; the most direct check.
Morning cortisol	circadian "re-synchronisation" claims make a cortisol rhythm a sensible baseline.
Fasting glucose and insulin	the primate and human work reported changes in glucose handling.
Sleep log or wearable sleep data	the outcome most likely to be felt if melatonin rises.
Telomere length (commercial assays)	frequently discussed because of the Epitalon telomerase claim; consumer assays are noisy and should be interpreted with caution.
CBC and CMP	general baseline for an injected animal-tissue extract.

Free for everyone. Safety information is never behind a paywall.

5Reconstitution and handling

Historically supplied as powder in 10 mg ampoules for use after dissolving in sterile saline or water; oral capsule forms are also sold. For vials, gently and refrigerate; because it is a mixture, concentration maths apply to the total peptide mass, not to a single molecule.

Open in calculator, pre-loaded →

6Commonly studied alongside

Epitalon (#13, the synthetic successor — most modern discussion of "Epithalamin" is actually about Epitalon); Thymalin (the group's thymus extract, often given in the same courses); Cortexin and Retinalamin (the group's other extracts). Melatonin itself is the obvious non-peptide comparator; no head-to-head trial.

Informational cross-links. Not stack recommendations.

7Regulatory status by region

Region	Status (checked —)
United States	Not FDA-approved; not a permitted dietary supplement ingredient. The synthetic successor Epitalon is on the FDA 2023 Category 2 compounding list; Epithalamin itself is not named †
European Union	Not authorised
United Kingdom	Not licensed
Australia	Not approved †
South Africa	Not registered
Sport (WADA)	Not specifically named; S0 as a non-approved substance †

8Open questions

What exactly is in the extract, and is anything sold today equivalent to what was used in the Soviet-era studies?
Independent, randomised, blinded replication of the elderly-cohort mortality findings — none exists.
Whether Epitalon truly reproduces the extract's effects or is a different compound with its own profile.

9References

1Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh, Morozov VG (1994). Twenty years of study on effects of pineal peptide preparation: Epithalamin in experimental gerontology and oncology. Ann N Y Acad Sci. PubMed · DOI
2Khavinson VKh (2002). Peptides and ageing. Neuroendocrinol Lett (Suppl). PubMed
3Goncharova ND, Vengerin AA, Khavinson VKh, Lapin BA (2005). Pineal peptides restore the age-related disturbances in hormonal functions of the pineal gland and the pancreas. Exp Gerontol. PubMed · DOI
4Korkushko OV, Khavinson VKh, Shatilo VB, Antonyk-Sheglova IA (2006). Geroprotective effect of epithalamine (pineal gland peptide preparation) in elderly subjects with accelerated aging. Bull Exp Biol Med. PubMed · DOI
5Anisimov VN, Khavinson VKh (2010). Peptide bioregulation of aging: results and prospects. Biogerontology. PubMed · DOI
6Khavinson VKh, Malinin VV (2005). Gerontological Aspects of Genome Peptide Regulation. Karger, Basel. DOI

† Being confirmed by our reviewers against current sources.

10Community

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Self-reported side effects Phase 2

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11Page history

26 Oct 2026Profile published — awaiting medical review

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