Comparison
Epitalon vs Spermidine
Side-by-side of Epitalon and Spermidine. 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.
Spermidine
Spermidine supplement benefits cover autophagy induction, longevity signals, and cognition. Wheat germ extract data, doses, and human trials reviewed.
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
Spermidine
- •Endogenous polyamine that induces autophagy via EP300 acetyltransferase inhibition and TFEB activation
- •Concentrated in wheat germ, soybeans, aged cheese, and mushrooms; ~10 to 15 mg/day in Mediterranean diets
- •Eisenberg 2016 reported dietary spermidine extended mouse lifespan and improved cardiac function
- •Wirth 2018 pilot (n=28) reported cognitive signal at 0.9 mg/day in older adults at risk for dementia
- •Larger Wirth 2019 follow-up (n=85) did not replicate the memory benefit at 12 months
- •Generally regarded as safe at supplemental doses; food-source position is reassuring
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Epitalon | Spermidine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | supplement |
| Also known as | Epithalon, Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly, AEDG, Epithalamin (precursor extract) | spermidine trihydrochloride, wheat-germ-extract spermidine |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 0.5 | 6 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 5 | 1.2 |
| Dosing frequency | daily during cycle | daily, typically morning with food |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 24 | 2 |
| Peak (hr) | 168 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 390.35 | 145.25 |
| Molecular formula | C14H22N4O9 | C7H19N3 |
| 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. | Induces macroautophagy via inhibition of EP300 histone acetyltransferase and activation of TFEB-mediated lysosomal biogenesis. Substrate for hypusination of eIF5A, required for translation of mitochondrial respiration proteins. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; registered in Russia under domestic pharmaceutical framework; research-use-only grey market in US/EU | OTC dietary supplement (wheat-germ extract has GRAS status in US) |
| WADA status | unknown | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | OTC supplement (not scheduled) |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended at supplemental doses |
| CAS | 307297-39-8 | 124-20-9 |
| PubChem CID | 219042 | 1102 |
| Wikidata | Q5384126 | Q411089 |
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)
Spermidine
Common side effects
- mild GI upset (rare)
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- wheat-germ allergy or celiac disease (for wheat-germ-extract products)
- active cancer (theoretical)
- pregnancy and lactation (insufficient data)
Interactions
- DFMO (difluoromethylornithine): competing polyamine metabolism; do not combine without oncology guidance(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Spermidine comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 2 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Epitalon is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Epitalon.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Spermidine.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Spermidine is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Spermidine. Lower friction to source, 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 Spermidine?
Epitalon and Spermidine 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 Spermidine?
Epitalon half-life is 0.5 hours; Spermidine half-life is 6 hours.
Can you stack Epitalon with Spermidine?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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