Our catalog includes a large family of bioregulator peptides — also called Khavinson peptides — and researchers often ask what they are. Here’s a research-framed overview, with no health or efficacy claims.
What they are
Bioregulator peptides are very short peptide sequences, often just two to four amino acids. They are associated with research by Prof. Vladimir Khavinson and colleagues and are studied in cellular, tissue and aging research contexts.
Common examples
- Epitalon (and N-Acetyl Epitalon) — among the most studied.
- Vilon, Cartalax, Cortagen, Crystagen, Livagen — short “-gen/-lax” sequences.
- Thymogen, Thymulin, Thymosin Alpha-1 — thymus-associated research peptides.
- Pinealon, Cerebrolysin — studied in neuro research contexts.
- Cardiogen, Bronchogen, Pancragen, Prostamax, Testagen, Ovagen, Chonluten, Vesugen, Vesilute — tissue-specific research sequences.
Browse the full set under Anti-Aging & Cellular in the catalog.
How they’re supplied and verified
- Form: lyophilized powder in sealed vials, typically 20 mg.
- Verification: batch-matched third-party COA (HPLC + MS).
- Use: laboratory research only.
FAQ
What are Khavinson peptides? A family of very short peptide bioregulators studied in cellular and aging research, named after the researcher associated with their study.
Is Epitalon a bioregulator? Yes — Epitalon (Epithalon) is among the most studied short peptide bioregulators.
How are bioregulators supplied? As lyophilized research powders in sealed vials, each with a batch-matched COA.
Browse verified research peptides
Every batch we ship is independently tested by Janoshik Analytical (HPLC for purity, mass spectrometry for identity) with a batch-matched Certificate of Analysis you can verify. Browse the catalog → · See the latest COAs →
*For laboratory and research use only. Not for human or veterinary use, consumption, or administration. Nothing in this article is medical advice or a claim that any compound treats, cures, or prevents any condition. This is general information, not legal advice.*
Bioregulator peptides — commonly called Khavinson peptides — are ultra-short amino acid sequences, usually two to four residues long, that are studied in cellular, tissue and aging research. This page explains what defines them as a class, how their naming conventions work, and what to expect when they arrive as lyophilized research powder with a batch-matched COA. Everything here is framed for laboratory research use only, with no health or efficacy claims.
Why sequence length matters in this class
Most of the peptides in a research catalog are considerably longer — chains of dozens of amino acids that fold into a defined secondary structure. Bioregulators sit at the opposite extreme. A di-, tri- or tetrapeptide has no meaningful tertiary structure to preserve, which is why this class is usually described by its sequence rather than by a structural model.
That brevity has practical consequences in the lab. Short sequences are straightforward to synthesize by standard solid-phase methods, they are easy to characterize by HPLC and mass spectrometry because the expected mass is small and unambiguous, and their identity is defined entirely by residue order. Epitalon, for example, is a tetrapeptide written as Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly (AEDG) — four letters that fully specify the compound.
Length also explains why some sequences appear in modified form. N-Acetyl Epitalon carries an acetyl group on the N-terminus, a common synthetic modification used in peptide chemistry to change the properties of the free amine. In a catalog, the modified and unmodified versions are separate items with separate COAs and should not be treated as interchangeable in a protocol.
How the naming conventions work
The names in this family look cryptic until you notice the pattern. Most were assigned by the researchers who first described them, and the endings are systematic rather than decorative.
Recognizing the pattern is useful when you are scanning a catalog, but it is not a substitute for the sequence. Two peptides with similar names can differ by a single residue, and the COA — not the trade name — is the document that tells you what is in the vial.
- The -gen ending appears across a large group of tissue-associated sequences: Thymogen, Cortagen, Cardiogen, Bronchogen, Pancragen, Testagen, Ovagen, Vesugen, Livagen, Crystagen.
- Names frequently signal the tissue or organ context in which the sequence has been studied — cardio- (heart), broncho- (airway), pancra- (pancreas), prosta- (prostate), ova- (ovary), thymo- (thymus).
- The -lax group, including Cartalax, and standalone names like Vilon, Pinealon, Chonluten and Vesilute, follow their own historical naming rather than a strict scheme.
- Some entries listed alongside bioregulators are not short peptides at all. Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28-amino-acid peptide and Cerebrolysin is a peptide preparation rather than a single defined sequence — they appear in the same research area but belong to different chemical categories.
Handling lyophilized bioregulator powder
Vials in this family are typically supplied as 20 mg of lyophilized powder under seal. Lyophilization removes water so the peptide is stable as a dry solid, and the powder is often present as a thin film or a barely visible deposit at the base or side of the vial rather than an obvious mass. That is normal for small peptides at low fill weights and is not an indication that the vial is short.
Standard laboratory practice applies once a vial is opened: dry powder is kept cold and dark, vials are allowed to reach room temperature before the seal is broken to avoid condensation drawing moisture into the powder, and reconstituted solutions are treated as far less stable than the dry form. Short peptides in solution are also sensitive to pH and to repeated freeze-thaw cycles, so aliquoting is preferable to refreezing a single stock vial.
Because the mass in the vial is small, weighing errors and transfer losses matter proportionally more than they would with a larger fill. Working from the stated vial weight and reconstituting to a known volume is generally more reliable than attempting to subdivide dry powder.
Reading the COA before you plan a protocol
Every bioregulator in the catalog ships with a third-party certificate of analysis matched to the batch in your vial, using HPLC for purity and mass spectrometry for identity. Those two tests answer different questions and both are worth looking at.
HPLC separates the target peptide from synthesis-related impurities and gives you the purity figure. Mass spectrometry confirms that the observed molecular mass corresponds to the intended sequence — which is the check that matters most in a family where several products differ by one or two residues. A batch number on the COA that matches the label on the vial is what makes the document meaningful; a generic certificate for a product line does not tell you about the material in front of you.
If your work will be published or reviewed, keep the COA with your records alongside the lot number and receipt date. It is the primary documentation of what was actually tested.
Where these sit in a Canadian research supply context
Bioregulators are grouped under Anti-Aging & Cellular in the catalog because that is the research area where the published literature sits, not because of any claimed effect. Researchers ordering them domestically avoid the customs delays and temperature exposure that come with long international transit — relevant for lyophilized material that is best kept cold and dry.
All items in this category are supplied for laboratory research only. They are not drugs, not supplements, and are not for human or veterinary use.
| Short bioregulators (e.g. Epitalon, Thymogen) | Longer research peptides |
|---|---|
| Typical length | 2–4 amino acids |
| Defined by | Exact residue sequence |
| Identity check | Mass spectrometry gives an unambiguous small mass |
| Naming | Historical names, often with -gen or -lax endings |
| Supplied as | Lyophilized powder, commonly 20 mg vials |
Common questions
What does it mean that a peptide is only two to four amino acids long?
It means the molecule is a di-, tri- or tetrapeptide — a very short chain with no folded three-dimensional structure to maintain. Its identity comes entirely from the order of its residues, which is why these compounds are usually written as short letter codes such as AEDG for Epitalon.
Why do so many of these names end in -gen?
It is a naming convention from the original research group rather than a chemical descriptor. The prefix usually points to the tissue or organ context the sequence was studied in — cardio-, broncho-, pancra- — while -gen marks it as part of the same family.
Is N-Acetyl Epitalon the same product as Epitalon?
No. N-Acetyl Epitalon carries an acetyl group on the N-terminal amine, making it a chemically distinct compound with its own molecular mass and its own certificate of analysis. They are listed and documented separately.
My vial looks empty. Is the powder missing?
At a 20 mg fill, lyophilized short peptide often appears as a thin film or a small deposit rather than a visible pile of powder, and it can sit against the wall of the vial rather than the base. This is normal for this class.
How should lyophilized bioregulator vials be stored?
Keep sealed vials cold and protected from light and moisture, and let them warm to room temperature before opening so condensation does not enter the powder. Once reconstituted, solutions are far less stable than the dry form, so aliquoting rather than repeated freeze-thaw is standard practice.
What should I check on the certificate of analysis?
Confirm that the batch or lot number on the COA matches the vial label, then read both the HPLC purity result and the mass spectrometry identity result. MS confirmation matters particularly here, since several peptides in the family differ by only one or two residues.
Are Thymosin Alpha-1 and Cerebrolysin bioregulators?
They are studied in overlapping research areas but are not short peptide bioregulators. Thymosin Alpha-1 is a 28-amino-acid peptide, and Cerebrolysin is a peptide preparation rather than a single defined sequence.