If you have been reading about 反相色谱 and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Last reviewed on 2025-11-06. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
The compound is registered in Russia as a pharmaceutical product, most commonly formulated as a nasal solution, and has been used in that setting since the 1990s. Outside that jurisdiction it is generally handled as a research chemical rather than an approved medicine. Regulatory status therefore differs sharply between countries, and material sold internationally may not correspond to the Russian pharmaceutical formulation. Documentation with commercial samples is typically limited to a certificate of analysis covering purity and identity, not clinical status or local legal classification.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. It corresponds to the ACTH(4-7) fragment extended at the C-terminus by a Pro-Gly-Pro tripeptide, an addition intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. The molecular formula is C37H51N9O10S and the molecular mass is approximately 814 daltons. In the literature it is often described as an ACTH(4-10) analog, although that label reflects a naming convention as much as a precise structural relationship. The compound was developed in Russia and remains most closely associated with that research tradition.
Laboratory descriptions of the material are consistent across suppliers. It appears as a white to off-white lyophilized powder that dissolves readily in water and in polar organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide. Aqueous solutions are clear and colorless at low concentrations. Because the peptide contains methionine, oxidation at the sulfur atom is a recognized degradation pathway, and handling notes usually call for protected, desiccated storage. Reported purity for research-grade lots is generally above 95 percent as measured by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.
Published studies are dominated by animal models of stroke, ischemia, and cognitive impairment, with a smaller number of human trials conducted in Russia. Many of the human reports are small, single-center, and published in Russian-language journals, which limits independent scrutiny. Outcome measures vary between studies and often rely on clinician-rated scales rather than objective biomarkers. Systematic reviews have noted the methodological weaknesses and called for larger, preregistered trials before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Claims about enhanced focus, memory, or mood in healthy people rest mostly on anecdotal reports and community discussion rather than on controlled data. It remains unclear whether any cognitive benefit observed in patients recovering from brain injury would extend to uninjured users. Dose-response relationships, long-term safety, and interactions with other drugs are not well characterized in the peer-reviewed literature. Questions about optimal route of administration and treatment duration likewise remain open.
Semax binds to melanocortin receptors and is thought to influence neuronal survival and plasticity rather than to act through the adrenal axis. Laboratory work has shown increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor in treated tissue. Changes in c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, have also been reported. Because the peptide is rapidly degraded by peptidases, its effects are generally attributed to downstream signaling cascades rather than to sustained receptor occupancy.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular formula | C37H51N9O10S | Contains one methionine sulfur atom |
| Molecular mass | Approximately 814 Da | Consistent with a seven-residue peptide |
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Typical lyophilized form |
| Solubility | Freely soluble in water | Also soluble in dimethyl sulfoxide |
| Typical storage | -20 °C, desiccated | Limits methionine oxidation |
Clinical evidence consists largely of small trials with modest sample sizes, often without independent replication. Reported endpoints include cognitive scores, recovery after stroke, and visual function, but study designs vary widely and few trials meet contemporary reporting standards. Systematic reviewers have noted a high risk of bias in several of these reports. No large multicenter trial conducted outside Russia has been published. The compound is therefore best described as investigational in most jurisdictions, with its clinical role still unresolved.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its chain combines the first seven residues of corticotropin with a C-terminal proline-glycine-proline extension, a modification intended to slow enzymatic breakdown. The free peptide has a molecular mass near 813.9 daltons. It belongs to the class of ACTH-derived fragments studied for central nervous system activity rather than for adrenal steroid stimulation. This structural relationship to a natural hormone fragment is the usual starting point for describing the compound in the literature.
纯度评估以反相高效液相色谱为主，通过主峰面积百分比给出粗略结果，再配合电喷雾质谱核对分子量。氨基酸分析可验证组成比例，手性色谱或毛细管电泳用于检查残基构型。常见杂质包括缺失序列的短肽、氧化产物与二聚体。由于多数市售品不附带完整检验报告，独立第三方检测常被用来核实标称值。
从分子层面看，Semax 是线性七肽，没有二硫键、糖基或脂链修饰，N 端为游离氨基，C 端为游离羧基。分子含组氨酸与谷氨酸侧链，因此在水和甲醇等极性溶剂中溶解良好，在非极性溶剂中溶解有限。计算分子量约为 814 Da，与其质子化离子的质荷比吻合，可用于质谱确认。
Terminology around the compound varies by source. It appears in catalogues and papers as Semax, as the heptapeptide ACTH(4-7)-Pro-Gly-Pro, and under various alphanumeric laboratory codes used by individual suppliers. These names refer to the same sequence but may imply different salt forms, purity grades, or counter-ions. Peptide databases usually list the free base mass, while product descriptions sometimes report acetate or trifluoroacetate salts with a different formula weight. Because naming conventions for research peptides are not standardised across vendors, checking the declared sequence and measured mass is more reliable than relying on a trade name alone.
Semax is a synthetic heptapeptide with the sequence Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro. Its design combines the ACTH(4-7) core fragment with a C-terminal Pro-Gly-Pro extension, a modification intended to improve stability and prolong activity. The molecule is hydrophilic, carries no lipid chains or glycosylation, and has a theoretical mass just over 810 daltons in its free form. All seven residues are proteinogenic amino acids, so no non-natural building blocks appear in the backbone. A free N-terminal methionine and C-terminal proline define the unmodified parent peptide.
The compound was developed during the 1980s at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Moscow as part of research on fragments of adrenocorticotropic hormone. Early work examined short ACTH-derived sequences that retained neurotrophic effects while lacking the endocrine activity of the full hormone. Semax entered clinical use in Russia during the 1990s, where it received registration for several neurological indications. Outside that region it remained primarily a laboratory research material rather than an approved therapeutic. English-language literature on it grew more slowly and frequently cited the original Russian studies.
溶液状态的稳定性明显低于冻干粉。肽类在水溶液中可能经历水解、氧化与聚集，其中甲硫氨酸和天冬酰胺等残基常是敏感位点。Semax 含有甲硫氨酸，因此氧化风险相对突出。工作液一般主张现配现用，或冷藏并在数日内用尽。缓冲液种类、pH 和离子强度都会影响降解速率，而关于最佳条件的公开数据并不统一。
常规纯度与身份确认依赖反相高效液相色谱，并辅以质谱测定分子量。氨基酸组成分析可用于验证序列构成，肽图分析则能进一步定位修饰或降解产物。杂质谱通常关注缺失序列肽、截短片段和氧化产物。不同方法的检出限并不相同，因此各实验室报告的纯度数值不宜直接横向比较。
多数实验室与市售的 Semax 以冻干粉形式提供。冻干粉通常建议保存在 -20 °C 或更低温度下，同时避免光照与反复升温。短期运输有时采用冷藏条件，但长期保存仍以冷冻为主。分包操作应尽量减少开盖次数，以降低吸湿和微生物污染的风险。开封后若未一次用完，建议在干燥环境中密封并尽快放回低温储存。
== Development and social impact == John Rolfe of Virginia used this species of tobacco to break the Spanish monopoly on tobacco in 1612. He did so by obtaining Nicotiana tabacum - the coveted plant he had designs to replace Nicotiana rustica with. Up until 1612, Nicotiana rustica was Virginia's only tobacco crop, and was found by Englishmen to be too bitter for enjoyment. Rolfe, by successfully planting, maintaining, and curing Nicotiana tabacum until sale (by removing all superfluous leaves and applying as little water as possible during curing), made Virginia a potential competitor with Spain's colonies. This transitioned the colony to a cash-crop focused one, monocropping tobacco by 1613, the year the first shipment (of 4 barrels) arrived in London. By 1617, the quality of Virginia tobacco had made it the gold standard in European markets, which have become insatiable- 20,000lbs of tobacco was exported there that year. These exports grew exponentially, doubling to 40,000lbs the following year (the year the first enslaved Africans arrive in America), and reaching 60,000lbs by 1620. The money obtained from tobacco exports was used, in turn, to fund the purchasing of more European indentured servants and especially enslaved Africans to fulfill the rising labor demand. In the 17th century, 75% of all colonists in Virginia had come as servants, indentured (with a term of 4 to 7 years of service) or Africans in perpetuity (for life), the latter being preferred as they were cheaper sources of labor:
Compound 22 is a low-potency and non-selective trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) antagonist that was identified in 2015 and was further studied in animals in 2018. The drug enhances the firing rates of dopaminergic neurons ex vivo and potentiates psychostimulant-induced hyperlocomotion and stereotypy in rodents in vivo. The latter effects are partially or fully independent of the TAAR1 however, with the mechanisms underlying these effects being unknown. Compound 22, along with EPPTB and RTI-7470-44, is one of the only TAAR1 antagonists that has been identified as of 2022.
The Global Carbon Budget 2021 concludes that fossil CO2 emissions rebounded by around +4.8% relative to 2020 emissions – returning to 2019 levels, identifies three major issues for improving reliable accuracy of monitoring, shows that China and India surpassed 2019 levels (by 5.7% and 3.2%) while the EU and the US stayed beneath 2019 levels (by 5.3% and 4.5%), quantifies various changes and trends, for the first time provides models' estimates that are linked to the official country GHG inventories reporting, and shows that the remaining carbon budget at 1. Jan 2022 for a 50% likelihood to limit global warming to 1.5 °C is 120 GtC (420 GtCO2) – or 11 years of 2021 emissions levels. Scientists propose and preliminarily evaluate a likely transgressed planetary boundary for green water in the water cycle, measured by root-zone soil moisture deviation from Holocene variability. A study published one day earlier integrates "green water" along with "blue water" into an index to measure and project water scarcity in agriculture for climate change scenarios. 27 April A lineage of H3N8 bird flu is found to infect humans for the first time, with a case reported in the Henan province of China. Months earlier, H5 strain bird flu viruses (HPAIv) have been detected in Canada and the US. A study extends global assessments of shares of species threatened by extinction with reptiles, which often play functional roles in their respective ecosystems, indicating at least 21% are threatened by extinction.
The PBI operated by using a helium gas nebulizer to spray the eluant into the vacuum, drying the droplets and pumping away the solvent vapour (using a jet separator) while the stream of monodisperse dried particles containing the analyte entered the source. Drying the droplets outside of the source volume, and using a jet separator to pump away the solvent vapour, allowed the particles to enter and be vapourized in a low-pressure EI source. As with the MBI, the ability to generate library-searchable EI spectra was a distinct advantage for many applications. Commercialized by Hewlett Packard, and later by VG and Extrel, it enjoyed moderate success, but has been largely supplanted by the atmospheric pressure interfaces such as electrospray and APCI which provide a broader range of compound coverage and applications.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Nervous system and senses === Octopuses and their relatives have a more expansive and complex nervous system than other invertebrates, containing over 500 million neurons, around the same as a dog. One part is localised in the brain, contained in a cartilaginous capsule. Two-thirds of the neurons are in the nerve cords of its arms. This allows their arms to perform actions with a degree of independence. Learning mainly occurs in the brain, while arms make decisions independently when supplied with information. A severed arm can still move and respond to stimuli. Unlike in many other animals, including other molluscs, the movement of octopuses and their relatives are not organised in their brains via internal somatotopic maps of their bodies. Octopuses have the same jumping genes that are active in the human brain, implying an evolutionary convergence at molecular level.
An epitope, () also known as antigenic determinant, is the part of an antigen that is recognized by the immune system, specifically by antibodies, B cells, or T cells. The part of an antibody that binds to the epitope is called a paratope. Although epitopes are usually non-self proteins, sequences derived from the host that can be recognized (as in the case of autoimmune diseases) are also epitopes. The epitopes of protein antigens are divided into two categories, conformational epitopes and linear epitopes, based on their structure and interaction with the paratope. Conformational and linear epitopes interact with the paratope based on the 3-D conformation adopted by the epitope, which is determined by the surface features of the involved epitope residues and the shape or tertiary structure of other segments of the antigen. A conformational epitope is formed by the 3-D conformation adopted by the interaction of discontiguous amino acid residues. In contrast, a linear epitope is formed by the 3-D conformation adopted by the interaction of contiguous amino acid residues. A linear epitope is not determined solely by the primary structure of the involved amino acids. Residues that flank such amino acid residues, as well as more distant amino acid residues of the antigen affect the ability of the primary structure residues to adopt the epitope's 3-D conformation. 90% of epitopes are conformational.
=== HPLC-based === A faster method of log P determination makes use of high-performance liquid chromatography. The log P of a solute can be determined by correlating its retention time with similar compounds with known log P values. An advantage of this method is that it is fast (5–20 minutes per sample). However, since the value of log P is determined by linear regression, several compounds with similar structures must have known log P values, and extrapolation from one chemical class to another—applying a regression equation derived from one chemical class to a second one—may not be reliable, since each chemical classes will have its characteristic regression parameters.
== Further reading == Sigel, Roland K. O.; Skilandat, Miriam; Sigel, Astrid; Operschall, Bert P.; Sigel, Helmut (2013). "Chapter 8. Complex formation of cadmium with sugar residues, nucleobases, phosphates, nucleotides and nucleic acids". In Sigel, Astrid; Sigel, Helmut; Sigel, Roland K. O. (eds.). Cadmium: From Toxicology to Essentiality (PDF). Metal Ions in Life Sciences. Vol. 11. Springer. pp. 191–274. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5179-8_8. ISBN 978-94-007-5178-1. PMID 23430775. Sóvágó, Imre; Várnagy, Katalin (2013). "Chapter 9. Cadmium(II) complexes of amino acids and peptides". In Sigel, Astrid; Sigel, Helmut; Sigel, Roland K. O. (eds.). Cadmium: From Toxicology to Essentiality. Metal Ions in Life Sciences. Vol. 11. Springer. pp. 275–302. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-5179-8_9. ISBN 978-94-007-5178-1. PMID 23430776. Yatsimirsky, Konstantin Borisovich; Vasilyev, Vladimir Pavlovich (1960). Instability Constants of Complex Compounds. Translated by Patterson, D. A. OUP.
calculates the abundance of carbon-13 relative to carbon-12 in all methane molecules. For the random distribution (i.e. probability distribution), the probability of choosing a carbon-13 atom over a carbon-12 atom is
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
It is registered as a pharmaceutical product in Russia, where it is typically supplied as a nasal solution. In most other countries it is not an approved drug and is traded as a research chemical instead. Approval status depends entirely on the jurisdiction involved.
Most published work uses intranasal administration, matching the route of the registered Russian formulation. Some animal experiments use intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. The route matters because the intact peptide is cleared rapidly from blood, so exposure differs between methods.
A purity value describes the share of the powder accounted for by the target peptide, usually by high-performance liquid chromatography. It does not confirm that the sequence is correct, which requires mass spectrometry or amino acid analysis. Purity and identity are separate checks.
It is associated with the melanocortin receptor family, particularly subtypes found in the central nervous system. This interaction is separate from the adrenal pathway activated by full-length ACTH.