Know what the lab is telling you.

Plain definitions for every term on our certificates and product pages, from HPLC to endotoxin.

Lab terms, A to Z

Accession number

Paperwork

The lab's own record number for a sample, which helps trace a certificate back to the lab.

See it on a COA

Amino-acid sequence

Materials

The ordered list of amino acids that defines a peptide, read from the N-terminus to the C-terminus.

Appearance

Results

What the sample looks like, such as a white lyophilized powder. A simple check that it matches expectations.

Area normalization

Testing

How purity is usually calculated: the target peak's area as a percentage of the total peak area.

Bacteriostatic water

Materials

Sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative, which inhibits microbial growth.

CAS number

Testing

A unique identifier from the Chemical Abstracts Service, used to refer to one chemical substance without ambiguity.

Certificate of Analysis (COA)

Paperwork

A lab's record for one specific lot, listing what was tested, how, and the results. See how to read one on our COA guide.

See it on a COA

cGMP

Paperwork

Current Good Manufacturing Practice, a set of quality-system standards for facilities and processes.

Chromatogram

Testing

The trace an HPLC run produces. Time runs along the bottom, and each peak is something the detector saw.

Endotoxin

Testing

A component of the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria. Labs test for it because it is a common contaminant.

See it on a COA

EU/mL

Testing

Endotoxin units per milliliter, the unit endotoxin results are reported in.

See it on a COA

GIP receptor

Biology

The glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor, a second incretin target studied alongside GLP-1.

GLP-1 receptor

Biology

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor, one of the most studied targets in metabolic research.

Glucagon receptor

Biology

A receptor investigated in energy expenditure and hepatic lipid research.

Half-life (t½)

Biology

The modeled time for a compound's concentration to fall by half.

Heavy metals

Testing

Trace metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, which can carry over from reagents or equipment.

See it on a COA

HPLC

Testing

High-performance liquid chromatography. Pushes a sample through a packed column so its components separate and can be measured one at a time.

See it on a COA

ICP-MS

Testing

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, used to measure metals at trace levels.

See it on a COA

Identity

Testing

Confirmation that the molecule in the sample is the one on the label. A certificate should name the method used.

See it on a COA

Immunoassay

Testing

A test that uses antibodies to detect a specific substance. Used for screens such as fentanyl.

See it on a COA

Incretin

Biology

A class of gut-derived hormones, such as GLP-1 and GIP, studied for their role in glucose-dependent insulin signaling.

ISO/IEC 17025

Paperwork

An international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation covers a defined scope of work.

Labeled content

Results

The amount stated on the vial. Compare it with net content on the certificate.

LAL assay

Testing

Limulus amebocyte lysate test, the standard method for detecting bacterial endotoxin.

LC-MS/MS

Testing

Liquid chromatography paired with tandem mass spectrometry: separates a sample, then confirms what each component is by mass.

LOD

Results

Limit of detection. The smallest amount a method can reliably pick up.

Lot

Paperwork

One production batch. A certificate is tied to one lot number, which should match your vial.

See it on a COA

Lyophilization (freeze-drying)

Materials

A process that removes water from a frozen solution under vacuum, leaving a stable dry powder. Most research peptides ship this way.

Mass spectrometry (MS)

Testing

Measures a molecule's mass-to-charge ratio. Matching the measured mass to the expected mass confirms identity.

Molecular formula

Testing

The count of each atom in a molecule, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen.

Molecular weight (MW)

Testing

The mass of one molecule, in g/mol or daltons. Used with mass spectrometry to confirm identity.

ND

Results

Not detected. Below what the method can see, which is not the same as proven absent.

See it on a COA

Net peptide content

Results

How much peptide was measured in the vial, in mg. Purity is a share; this is an amount.

See it on a COA

Pass

Results

The result met its specification. It means more when the measured value and the limit are printed beside it.

PCR

Testing

Polymerase chain reaction. Detects genetic material from microorganisms.

Peak

Testing

One rise on a chromatogram. One tall, narrow peak means one main component. Smaller peaks are impurities.

Peptide

Materials

A short chain of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

ppm

Testing

Parts per million, the unit heavy metal limits are usually written in.

See it on a COA

Purity (%)

Testing

The target compound's share of what the instrument detected. It tells you what share is the target, not how much is in the vial.

See it on a COA

Reference standard

Testing

A well-characterized sample of the compound, used for comparison so results can be checked against a known quantity.

Report Only

Results

A value the lab reports without judging it against a limit, so it carries no pass or fail.

See it on a COA

Research Use Only (RUO)

Materials

Intended solely for in-vitro laboratory research. RUO products are not drugs, supplements, foods or cosmetics, and are not for human or animal use.

Residue

Materials

One amino acid unit within a peptide chain. A 15-residue peptide has fifteen amino acids.

Retention time

Testing

How long a compound takes to pass through the column. Matching a reference standard under the same conditions supports its identity.

See it on a COA

Reverse-phase HPLC

Testing

The common form of HPLC for peptides. Molecules separate by how strongly they stick to a water-repelling column.

Secretagogue

Biology

A compound studied for its ability to stimulate the secretion of another substance, such as growth hormone.

Specification

Results

The limit a result is judged against. A useful certificate prints it beside the result.

See it on a COA

Sterility

Testing

A check for microbial contamination. Certificates name the method, such as PCR.

See it on a COA

Third-party testing

Paperwork

Analysis by a lab that is separate from the seller.

USP

Paperwork

United States Pharmacopeia, which publishes standard test methods. Certificates cite them by chapter, such as USP <85> for endotoxin.

See it on a COA

UV detection

Testing

How the instrument sees what leaves the column. Peptide bonds absorb ultraviolet light, so many peptide methods read at around 214 nm.

The catalog

Every compound, A to Z.

Compare compounds
5-Amino-1MQMetabolic

NNMT Inhibitor (Small Molecule)

It is the one entry here that is not a peptide, and that changes the whole record: no amino-acid sequence, a defined small-molecule formula, and enzyme inhibition rather than receptor binding as the mechanism under study. Sitting upstream of the NAD⁺ salvage pathway is why it is frequently run alongside NAD⁺ itself in metabolism research.

View compound
ARA-290Repair

Erythropoietin-Derived Peptide

ARA-290 is unusual among the catalog in having advanced into human clinical study, where it was investigated for neuropathic and inflammatory endpoints via the tissue-protective receptor. Its design deliberately separates that repair signaling from erythropoiesis, which is what distinguishes it from erythropoietin itself.

View compound
BAC WaterSupplies

Bacteriostatic Water

Bacteriostatic water is sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a bacteriostatic preservative, used in the laboratory with lyophilized research peptides. The preservative inhibits microbial growth, so a sealed multi-dose vial can be accessed repeatedly during a study. Filled under sterile, USP-grade conditions. For laboratory research use only - not for human consumption.

View compound
BPC-157Repair

Synthetic Pentadecapeptide

Interest in BPC-157 centers on VEGF/VEGFR2 and nitric-oxide pathway activity, where much of the literature comes from a single prolific group and is almost entirely rodent-based. In the laboratory it is handled as a stable lyophilized powder, prepared per the study protocol, and it is frequently paired with TB-500 in combination assay work.

View compound
BPC-157 / TB-500Repair

Co-Formulated Research Blend

Combination work exists because the two peptides are reported to act through non-overlapping mechanisms - one weighted toward angiogenic and cytoprotective signaling, the other toward actin regulation and cell migration. Co-formulating them at a fixed ratio removes a source of preparation variability when both are studied together.

View compound
BPC-157 / TB-500 / KPVRepair

Tri-Peptide Research Blend

This preparation extends the familiar BPC-157 / TB-500 pairing with KPV, so a single vial covers angiogenic, cytoskeletal and anti-inflammatory signaling. Laboratories typically use it when those routes are being studied together and separate preparation of three compounds would add handling variability.

View compound
BPC-157 / TB-500 10-PackRepair

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of BPC-157 / TB-500 in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
CagrilintideMetabolic

Long-Acting Amylin Analogue

Amylin analogues are studied mainly for receptor pharmacology at the amylin receptor complexes, which pair the calcitonin receptor with receptor-activity-modifying proteins. The lipidated design is what distinguishes this compound from native amylin in vitro, so lot identity by mass spectrometry carries particular weight.

View compound
CartalaxLongevity

Bioregulator Tripeptide

Cartalax belongs to the short-peptide bioregulator family associated with Khavinson's group, most of whose literature is preclinical and cell-culture based. Because the molecule is only three residues long, identity confirmation and purity on the lot certificate are the main points of characterization.

View compound
CJC / IPA BlendGrowth

Growth Hormone Secretagogue

This blend exists because GHRH analogs and ghrelin-receptor secretagogues act through complementary mechanisms, and researchers frequently study them together to look at combined GH release. Co-formulation keeps the ratio fixed across a study.

View compound
CJC-1295Growth

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide

The no-DAC form of CJC-1295 (modified GRF 1-29) is studied for its more pulsatile GH profile, and it is frequently paired with a ghrelin-receptor secretagogue to study the two GH-release mechanisms together. It provides a shorter-acting counterpart to the DAC version.

View compound
CJC-1295 DACGrowth

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide

The drug-affinity-complex version binds serum albumin to extend its presence, and research contrasts its sustained GHRH signaling against the more pulsatile no-DAC form. The half-life extension is itself a frequent subject of study.

View compound
DSIPCognitive

Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide

DSIP is one of the older peptides in sleep research, first described for its association with slow-wave sleep, and its precise mechanism remains incompletely understood. It is studied more as a neuroendocrine and circadian probe than as a defined receptor ligand.

View compound
EpithalonLongevity

Synthetic Tetrapeptide

Epithalon comes out of the Russian peptide-bioregulator tradition, where short peptides are studied for tissue-specific regulatory effects, and it is most associated with telomerase and pineal/circadian research. Much of its literature is preclinical and its mechanisms remain an active area of study.

View compound
GHK-CuRepair

Copper-Peptide Complex

GHK-Cu sits at the intersection of peptide and trace-metal biology, and much of its research interest follows from the copper it carries into the cell as much as the tripeptide itself. Gene-expression studies have made it one of the more mechanistically characterized compounds in skin and matrix research.

View compound
GHK-Cu 10-PackRepair

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of GHK-Cu in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
GlowRepair

Dermatological Research Blend

Blends are characterized component by component rather than as one entity, so the lot certificate lists each peptide's identity and content separately - the reason a blend shows two or three figures where a single peptide shows one. Work using this combination generally examines the copper-delivery and matrix-repair routes together rather than isolating either.

View compound
GLOW+Repair

High-Load Dermatological Research Blend

Blends are characterized as a whole on the lot certificate, so the purity and identity figures describe the co-formulated preparation. Work with this higher-copper version generally weights the copper-delivery and matrix-remodeling route over the repair-peptide arm, which is the main reason to choose it over the standard Glow ratio.

View compound
GLP-1 SMetabolic

Single-Agonist GLP-1 Research Compound

Single GLP-1 receptor agonists are the most extensively characterized class in metabolic research, providing a well-understood baseline against which multi-agonist compounds are compared. GLP-1 S is studied as a reference point for incretin and satiety signaling.

View compound
GLP-2 TZMetabolic

Dual-Incretin Metabolic Compound

The property most often cited in the literature is that it is GIP-forward - relatively more potent at the GIP receptor than at GLP-1 - so it tends to be used as a comparator when separating GIP-driven from GLP-1-driven effects rather than as a general incretin control. Receptor-selectivity panels report the two potencies separately for that reason.

View compound
GLP-2 TZ 10-PackMetabolic

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of GLP-2 TZ in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
GLP-3 RTMetabolic

Triple-Receptor GLP Research Compound

The glucagon arm is what separates this class from the dual-incretin tools: adding a third receptor to the same molecule brings hepatic and energy-expenditure signaling into one construct, so a selectivity panel can be run against a single reference instead of three separate ones. Published in-vitro work reports potency at each receptor independently, which is why lot identity and purity carry more weight here than for a single-target control.

View compound
GLP-3 RT + CagriMetabolic

Combination Metabolic Research Compound

Combination preparations like this one exist so incretin-class and amylin-class signaling can be examined from one reference rather than two separately prepared compounds. The lot certificate characterizes the preparation as supplied; the two components are not reported as separate figures.

View compound
GLP-3 RT + Cagri 10-PackMetabolic

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of GLP-3 RT + Cagri in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
GLP-3 RT 10-PackMetabolic

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of GLP-3 RT in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
IGF-1 LR3Growth

Growth Factor Peptide

IGF-1 LR3 is an engineered analog with reduced binding-protein affinity and a longer half-life, giving researchers a more persistent IGF-1 signal than the native growth factor. It is studied for cellular growth and proliferation endpoints in vitro.

View compound
IpamorelinGrowth

Growth Hormone Secretagogue

Ipamorelin is prized in research for its selectivity - it stimulates GH release through the ghrelin receptor with minimal effect on cortisol or prolactin, giving a cleaner readout than earlier secretagogues. It is a common partner for GHRH analogs in combination GH studies.

View compound
KisspeptinMelanocortin

Hypothalamic Neuropeptide

Kisspeptin sits at the very top of the reproductive hormone cascade, upstream of GnRH, which has made it a heavily studied target in reproductive endocrinology including human clinical work. The Kisspeptin-10 fragment is the common research form.

View compound
KLOWRepair

Multi-Peptide Research Blend

The KLOW formulation is aimed at laboratories that want to study several regenerative mechanisms in a single, consistent preparation rather than preparing four compounds separately. It is best understood as a convenience blend for combination protocols, with the caveat that attributing any single effect to one component is not possible from the blend alone.

View compound
KLOW 10-PackRepair

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of KLOW in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
KPVRepair

Alpha-MSH C-Terminal Fragment

Because KPV retains the anti-inflammatory activity of α-MSH without the receptor engagement responsible for pigmentation, it is studied as a cleaner probe of that pathway. Research emphasis is on epithelial and mucosal-barrier models rather than systemic endpoints.

View compound
KPV 10-PackRepair

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of KPV in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
L-GlutathioneLongevity

Endogenous Tripeptide

As the cell's principal small-molecule antioxidant, glutathione is studied less as a novel compound and more as a fundamental readout of redox state, detoxification capacity and oxidative stress. It appears across an enormous range of cell and animal research.

View compound
Melanotan IIMelanocortin

Melanocortin Receptor Agonist

Melanotan II is a broadly acting melanocortin agonist, and because it engages several receptors it is studied both for pigmentation (MC1) and other melanocortin-linked endpoints. The FDA has warned about products containing it, underscoring its research-only status here.

View compound
MOTS-cMetabolic

Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide

MOTS-c is one of a small class of mitochondrial-derived peptides - encoded by mitochondrial rather than nuclear DNA - which is itself the reason for much of the research attention it receives. Studies focus on its AMPK-linked role in metabolic stress and exercise physiology.

View compound
MOTS-c 10-PackMetabolic

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of MOTS-c in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
NAD+Longevity

Redox Coenzyme

Few molecules are as broadly studied as NAD⁺, which participates in hundreds of enzymatic reactions and connects energy metabolism to the sirtuin and PARP pathways central to aging research. Because it is endogenous and ubiquitous, it serves as both a subject and a reference across cellular-aging work.

View compound
NAD+ 10-PackLongevity

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of NAD+ in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
PinealonCognitive

Short Peptide Bioregulator

Pinealon belongs to the short peptide-bioregulator class studied for tissue-specific effects on cellular protein synthesis, with particular attention to neural tissue. Its research literature is preclinical and mechanistic detail is still being characterized.

View compound
PT-141Melanocortin

MC4 Receptor Agonist

PT-141 (Bremelanotide) is the more receptor-selective metabolite of Melanotan II, focusing on central MC4 signaling, and a bremelanotide product has reached regulatory approval for a specific indication. Research here centers on that central pathway rather than pigmentation.

View compound
SelankCognitive

Tuftsin-Analog Research Peptide

Selank derives from the immunopeptide tuftsin and is studied as an anxiolytic probe that appears to modulate neurotransmitter balance without sedation. Like Semax, it comes largely out of Russian research and is characterized chiefly in preclinical models.

View compound
SemaxCognitive

ACTH-Derived Research Peptide

Semax is a mainstay of Russian neuropeptide research, where it is studied for neuroprotective and cognitive endpoints, and much of its primary literature is published in that context. Its short ACTH-derived sequence and reported BDNF effects make it a frequent subject in neural-plasticity models.

View compound
SermorelinGrowth

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide

Sermorelin is the classical GHRH(1-29) fragment and, with a prescription history behind it, serves as a well-understood reference for endogenous GH stimulation. It is often the baseline against which newer GHRH analogs are compared.

View compound
SS-31Longevity

Mitochondrial Peptide

SS-31 (Elamipretide) is notable for advancing into clinical trials for mitochondrial and cardiovascular indications, which places it among the more rigorously studied compounds here. Its selectivity for cardiolipin gives it a well-defined molecular target on the inner mitochondrial membrane.

View compound
TB-500Repair

Thymosin Beta-4 Fragment

As a synthetic form of the naturally occurring Thymosin β-4, TB-500 is studied less for a single receptor and more for its upstream effect on the actin cytoskeleton, which touches migration, angiogenesis and flexibility endpoints. It is a common comparator and combination partner in tissue-repair protocols alongside BPC-157.

View compound
TESA / IPA BlendGrowth

Growth Hormone Blend

Pairing a stabilized GHRH analog with a selective secretagogue lets researchers study a longer-acting GHRH signal alongside ghrelin-receptor stimulation in one preparation. As with all blends, identity and purity are documented on the lot COA.

View compound
TesamorelinGrowth

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide

The stabilizing group sits at the N-terminus and slows the enzymatic cleavage that limits native GHRH, which is what gives it a longer working half-life in vitro than the shorter GHRH(1-29) fragment used in sermorelin studies. Because it acts at the GHRH receptor rather than the ghrelin receptor, it is commonly paired with ghrelin-receptor tools such as ipamorelin in work that separates the two secretagogue routes.

View compound
Tesamorelin 10-PackGrowth

Ten vials, one case

Ten vials of Tesamorelin in one protective case, at the ten-vial price (60% off the single-vial list price). Same lots and certificates as our single vials. Buy 1 Get 1, promo codes and payment discounts do not apply to 10-packs.

View compound
Thymosin Alpha-1Longevity

Thymic Immunomodulatory Peptide

Thymosin Alpha-1 is among the most clinically studied peptides in the catalog, with approvals in several countries for immune-related indications, though not in the United States. Research centers on its modulation of T-cell maturation and innate immune signaling.

View compound

Now read a real certificate.

Follow one Aspect lot through the lab, test by test.

Definitions are for laboratory reference. For research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.

On a real Aspect certificate

Follow it through the lab