Cortagen Technical Specification Sheet

Molecular Properties

Parameter	Value
Chemical Name	Cortagen / AED Tripeptide
Amino Acid Sequence	Ala-Glu-Asp (AED)
Molecular Formula	C₁₂H₁₉N₃O₈
Molecular Weight	333.30 g/mol
CAS Number	Not assigned (research peptide bioregulator)
Sequence Length	3 amino acids (tripeptide)
Bioregulator Class	Cerebral cortex peptide bioregulator; cognitive enhancer

Physical Properties

Property	Specification
Appearance	White to off-white lyophilized powder
Solubility	Freely soluble in water, PBS, or saline at ≥5 mg/mL
pH (1% solution)	4.0 - 6.0 (acidic due to Glu/Asp residues)
Hygroscopicity	Low; standard desiccated storage sufficient
Solution Stability	Stable at 4°C for 14-21 days; highly stable tripeptide

Analytical Specifications

Test	Specification
HPLC Purity	≥98.0%
Mass Spectrometry	Confirmed [M+H]⁺ = 333.30 ± 0.3 Da
Peptide Content	≥95% (by amino acid analysis)
Endotoxin Level	<1.0 EU/mg
Acetate Content	≤5%
TFA Content	≤0.1%
Water Content	≤5% (Karl Fischer)

Storage Parameters

Condition	Specification
Lyophilized Storage	-20°C, desiccated (room temp short-term acceptable)
Lyophilized Shelf Life	36 months when stored properly at -20°C
Reconstituted Storage	2-8°C for up to 21 days; -20°C for up to 6 months
Reconstitution Protocol	Add 1.0 mL sterile water or bacteriostatic water to 5 mg vial; vortex 15-30 seconds
Freeze-Thaw Cycles	Tolerates 5+ cycles; tripeptide highly stable
Light Sensitivity	Minimal; standard laboratory storage acceptable

Research Dosing Reference

Application	Typical Dose Range	Frequency	Route
In Vitro Cortical Neuron Culture	1-100 μM	Daily media change or continuous exposure	Culture media
Small Animal Models (Rodent)	0.1-1 mg/kg	Daily for 10-20 days	SC, IP, intranasal
Cognitive Enhancement Studies	0.25-1 mg/kg	Daily for 14-30 days	SC or intranasal preferred
Neuroplasticity Research	0.5-2 mg/kg	Cyclic: 10 days on, 10 days off	SC or IP

Key Research Studies

Year	Study Focus	Key Findings
2003	Isolation and initial characterization	Cortagen (AED) isolated from brain cortex extracts; demonstrated neuroprotective activity in vitro at 10-100 μM; reduced neuronal apoptosis by 35-50% in oxidative stress models
2010	Cognitive function and memory enhancement	Cortagen administration (0.5 mg/kg daily for 20 days) improved learning and memory performance in aged rodents; Morris water maze latency reduced by 30%; novel object recognition increased by 40%
2015	Gene expression profiling in cortical tissue	Microarray analysis revealed cortagen modulated 73 cortex-specific genes; upregulated synaptic genes (PSD-95, synaptophysin, synapsin-1), neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NT-3), and antioxidant enzymes
2019	Neuroplasticity and synaptic density	Treatment with cortagen (0.5 mg/kg for 15 days) increased dendritic arborization by 25% in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex; enhanced spine density and synaptic protein expression; improved electrophysiological markers of LTP

Mechanism of Action

Biological Pathway	Description
Cortex-Specific Bioregulation	Tripeptide derived from cerebral cortex tissue; exhibits preferential effects on cortical neurons; proposed chromatin interaction and epigenetic modulation
Gene Expression Modulation	Influences expression of cognition-related genes; upregulates synaptic plasticity proteins (Arc, Homer1, PSD-95); enhances neurotrophic factor production (BDNF, NGF)
Synaptic Enhancement	Increases synaptic protein synthesis; promotes dendritic spine formation and stabilization; enhances glutamatergic transmission and NMDA receptor function
Neuroprotection	Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation; upregulates antioxidant defense systems; protects against excitotoxicity and age-related neuronal damage
Duration of Effect	Cumulative effects over 10-20 days; molecular and structural changes persist 2-4 weeks post-treatment

Quality Control Parameters

Test Method	Acceptance Criteria
Appearance (visual)	White to off-white powder; fine uniform texture
Reconstitution Test	Complete dissolution within 30 seconds; clear colorless solution
RP-HPLC (purity)	Main peak ≥98.0%; no single impurity >0.5%
ESI-MS (identity)	[M+H]⁺ = 333.30 ± 0.3 Da confirmed
Amino Acid Sequence	Confirmed AED sequence by MS/MS fragmentation

Bioregulator Comparison: Brain-Targeted Tripeptides

Bioregulator	Sequence	Target Region	Primary Research Focus
Cortagen	Ala-Glu-Asp (AED)	Cerebral cortex	Cognitive function, learning, memory
Pinealon	Glu-Asp-Arg (EDR)	General brain/CNS	Neuroprotection, oxidative stress
Cerebrolysin components	Various peptides	Whole brain	Neurotrophic effects, stroke recovery

Structure-Activity Considerations

Position	Amino Acid	Structural Role
1	Alanine (Ala)	Small hydrophobic residue; N-terminal; membrane permeability
2	Glutamic acid (Glu)	Acidic residue; central position; conformational flexibility
3	Aspartic acid (Asp)	Acidic residue; C-terminal; potential for electrostatic interactions
Net Charge	Negative at physiological pH (2 acidic residues, neutral N-terminus)

Experimental Application Guidelines

Model System	Optimal Concentration/Dose	Duration
Primary Cortical Neurons	10-50 μM	24-72 hours
Neuroblastoma/Glioma Lines	1-100 μM	24-96 hours
Learning/Memory Tasks (rodent)	0.25-0.5 mg/kg	14-30 days before testing
Age-Related Cognitive Decline	0.5-1 mg/kg	10-20 day cycles, repeated
Stroke/Injury Models	0.5-2 mg/kg	Initiated post-injury, 7-14 days

Reported Biological Effects

Effect Category	Observed Changes	Effective Concentration Range
Cognitive Performance	Improved spatial learning, working memory, attention; reduced cognitive decline	0.25-1 mg/kg (in vivo)
Synaptic Markers	Increased PSD-95, synaptophysin, synapsin-1 expression; enhanced spine density	10-50 μM (in vitro); 0.5 mg/kg (in vivo)
Neurotrophic Factors	Upregulated BDNF, NGF, NT-3 levels; enhanced TrkB signaling	10-100 μM (in vitro); 0.5-1 mg/kg (in vivo)
Oxidative Stress	Reduced ROS, lipid peroxidation; increased SOD, catalase, GSH-Px activity	10-50 μM (in vitro); 0.5-2 mg/kg (in vivo)