Comparison
Epitalon vs Melatonin
Side-by-side of Epitalon and Melatonin. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Epitalon
Epitalon peptide (Epithalon, tetrapeptide AEDG): telomerase activation, lifespan extension data, anti-aging trials, dosage, half-life, and safety.
Melatonin
Melatonin as a sleep supplement: 0.3-1 mg matches physiological output, 3-10 mg is pharmacological. Shifts circadian phase, shortens sleep latency.
Effects at a glance
Epitalon
- •Synthetic tetrapeptide (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) developed at the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation
- •Russian clinical literature reports mortality reduction in elderly cohorts and improved melatonin output
- •Reported telomerase activation in human somatic cell culture and lifespan extension in mice and Drosophila
- •Independent Western replication is essentially absent; no FDA-standard RCTs
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously daily for 10 to 20 day cycles, 2 to 4 times yearly
- •Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List
Melatonin
- •Shortens sleep onset latency by ~7 to 12 minutes at physiological 0.3 to 1 mg doses
- •Advances circadian phase when taken 30 to 60 minutes before target bedtime, useful for jet lag and shift work
- •Does not meaningfully increase total sleep time in healthy adults without circadian misalignment
- •Endogenous nighttime production is not suppressed by short-term exogenous supplementation
- •Higher doses (3 to 10 mg) raise plasma levels above physiological range and often increase morning grogginess
- •Effective for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and reducing jet-lag severity in eastward travel
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Epitalon | Melatonin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | supplement |
| Also known as | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) | N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 0.75 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5 | 0.5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily during cycle | daily, 30 to 60 minutes before target sleep time |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 24 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | 168 | 1 |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 | 232.28 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | C13H16N2O2 |
| Mechanism | Synthetic tetrapeptide proposed to interact directly with DNA and chromatin to modulate tissue-specific gene expression. Reported effects include telomerase activation, increased melatonin output from pineal cells, and circadian normalization. | Agonist at MT1 and MT2 receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, signaling biological night and promoting sleep-onset gating plus circadian phase shifts. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU | OTC in US; prescription in UK, EU, Japan |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | OTC supplement in US; Rx in UK, EU, Japan, Australia |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended |
| CAS | 307297-39-8 | 73-31-4 |
| PubChem CID | 219042 | 896 |
| Wikidata | Q5384126 | Q179243 |
Safety profile
Epitalon
Common side effects
- injection-site reactions
- occasional mild headache (rare)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical telomerase concern)
- concurrent immunosuppression
Interactions
- melatonin: potential additive effect on circadian and pineal output; no controlled data(minor)
Melatonin
Common side effects
- vivid dreams
- morning grogginess (higher doses)
- headache
- dizziness
Contraindications
- autoimmune disease (theoretical)
- concurrent anticoagulant therapy without monitoring
Interactions
- fluvoxamine: CYP1A2 inhibition raises melatonin levels substantially(major)
- warfarin: possible increased bleeding risk(moderate)
- benzodiazepines and alcohol: additive sedation(moderate)
- antihypertensives: may alter blood pressure response(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Melatonin comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Melatonin.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Melatonin.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Melatonin is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Melatonin. Wider use case, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Epitalon only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Epitalon and Melatonin?
Epitalon and Melatonin differ in category (peptide vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Epitalon or Melatonin?
Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours; Melatonin half-life is 0.75 hours.
Can you stack Epitalon with Melatonin?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper