BPC-157 comes up often in conversation and rarely with the context attached. Here we lay out the basics in order, then work through the practical considerations.
Updated 2026-07-19. Numbers and descriptions here follow the published literature rather than marketing material.
The peptide was first described in the early 1990s by a group studying gastric secretions and tissue repair. Its fifteen-residue chain is usually written as GEPPPGKPADDAGLV in single-letter code. The free peptide has the formula C62H98N16O22 and a theoretical mass near 1419.5 daltons. These identifiers are established chemical facts that can be checked against standard peptide databases. There is no ambiguity about the primary structure.
Most published findings come from rodent experiments using induced injury or surgical models. Human reports remain scarce and are largely observational, which limits how much can be stated with confidence. Questions about absorption, distribution, metabolism, and clearance in people are still open. Dose translation between species is likewise unresolved. Researchers tend to read the animal literature as a starting point rather than a settled account.
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide composed of fifteen amino acids. Its sequence corresponds to part of a protein found in human gastric juice, which is the origin of the "body protection compound" label. In laboratory work the material is treated as a defined research chemical rather than a finished product. Published research has centered on animal models, and the peptide is not an approved medicine in most countries.
Terminology in the literature is not fully standardised. Papers and product listings use BPC-157, BPC 157, and the longer phrase stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 interchangeably, and synonyms such as bepecin or PL 14736 appear in older or company-linked publications. Purity claims and reported masses can also differ between sources because peptide preparations may include counterions, residual solvents, or bound water. This variability complicates direct comparison of results across studies and makes the exact identity and grade of a given sample worth verifying. Discussions of the compound should therefore specify the source, salt form, and stated purity where those are known.
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide composed of fifteen amino acid residues, with the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val. Its name derives from body protection compound, a term used for a protein fraction identified in human gastric juice. Researchers in Zagreb first reported the pentadecapeptide in the early 1990s and described it as a stable fragment of that larger protein. The compound is also catalogued as PL 14736 and, in some commercial contexts, as bepecin. Its molecular formula is C62H98N16O22 and its monoisotopic mass is approximately 1419 daltons.
Most published work on BPC-157 consists of preclinical studies, including rodent models of tissue injury, gastrointestinal lesions, and vascular or tendon damage, together with in vitro cell assays. Reviews frequently note that the mechanisms proposed in these papers remain incompletely characterised and that findings have not been confirmed in large randomised human trials. The compound is widely sold as a research chemical rather than a licensed medicine, and labels commonly carry a statement that it is not for human use. Whether any of the reported animal effects translate to humans is an open question rather than an established result.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amino acid count | 15 residues | Synthetic pentadecapeptide chain |
| Sequence | GEPPPGKPADDAGLV | Single-letter amino acid code |
| Molecular formula | C62H98N16O22 | Free peptide, without counter-ion |
| Theoretical mass | Approximately 1419.5 daltons | Varies slightly with adducts and counter-ions |
| Origin | Fragment of a human gastric juice protein | Source of the BPC designation |
Physical descriptions in supplier documents and papers usually list the compound as a white to off-white powder. It dissolves readily in water and in common aqueous buffers, and solutions are often prepared fresh before an experiment. Molecular mass near 1419 daltons helps verify identity during mass spectrometry. The powder is somewhat hygroscopic, so moisture exposure can alter the measured mass of a sample. Purity is typically reported as a percentage from chromatographic analysis.
BPC-157 is a synthetic fifteen-amino-acid peptide whose sequence is GEPPPGKPADDAGLV. Its name derives from the phrase body protection compound, a term applied to a protein fraction originally detected in human gastric juice. The short peptide is not that full protein; it corresponds to a stable fragment of the larger molecule. Researchers frequently describe it as a pentadecapeptide because it contains exactly fifteen residues. Its neutral molecular mass is approximately 1419 daltons.
Evidence in humans is limited. Small clinical studies have examined the peptide in contexts such as ulcerative colitis and wound healing, but participant numbers are small and independent replication is scarce. It is not approved as a medicine by major regulatory agencies and is distributed mainly as a research material or compounded preparation. Long-term human safety data are not established, and questions about absorption through non-injected routes remain open rather than resolved. Claims about its effects are best read against these gaps.
BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide of fifteen amino acids, written in single-letter code as GEPPPGKPADDAGLV. The sequence corresponds to a partial fragment of a protein isolated from human gastric juice, described in early reports as body protection compound. The number 157 refers to a fragment designation in that work rather than to molecular mass. Initial descriptions appeared in the early 1990s, when the fragment was reported to protect gastrointestinal tissue in animal models. Commercial material is produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis rather than extracted from biological sources.
Laboratory research on this peptide has examined a wide and heterogeneous set of endpoints, including gastric ulcer models, tendon and ligament injury, wound closure, and intestinal inflammation. Most published findings come from rodent studies, and reported effect sizes are often large relative to controls. Because the compound has been tested across many unrelated injury models, the literature is frequently described as unusually broad for a single peptide. A substantial share of this work originates from a small number of research groups, which matters when assessing how widely results have been reproduced.
Identity and purity are checked with standard peptide techniques. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography separates the main peak from closely related impurities and yields a percentage purity. Mass spectrometry confirms that the measured mass matches the theoretical value. Amino acid analysis offers an independent check on overall composition. These analytical methods characterize the material itself and reveal nothing about how it behaves in a living system.
In its common research form the peptide is supplied as a lyophilized powder. It dissolves readily in water and in typical aqueous buffers, which simplifies preparation of working solutions. Laboratories usually prepare small aliquots instead of one large volume. The dry material appears as a white to off-white solid with no distinctive odor. Bulk quantities are typically shipped in sealed vials.
Lyophilized material is generally kept cold, commonly at minus twenty degrees Celsius, and shielded from moisture and light. Solutions are less stable than the dry powder, so repeated freeze-thaw cycles are avoided by splitting the material into single-use portions. Published stability data for this particular peptide are limited, which means suggested hold times should be read as provisional. Long-term refrigeration of reconstituted solutions is not well supported by available evidence.
Als Isopeptidbindungen werden in der Biochemie die Sonderform einer Amidbindung zwischen zwei Aminosäuren bezeichnet, bei der zumindest eine der beteiligten funktionellen Gruppen nicht am α-C-Atom der Aminosäure sitzt [3]. Ein Beispiel dafür wäre eine Amidbindung zwischen der seitenständigen ε-Aminogruppe von L-Lysin und der seitenständigen Carboxygruppe von L-Asparaginsäure oder L-Glutaminsäure. Die Verknüpfung der Aminosäuren erfolgt also nicht (ausschließlich) über α-ständige Amino- und Carboxygruppen. Isopeptidbindungen werden beispielsweise bei der kovalenten Verknüpfung von Fibrin im Rahmen der Blutgerinnung durch den Faktor XIII zwischen Lysin und Glutamin geschlossen.
Bei einer α-Aminosäure, die neben der α-Aminogruppe eine zweite Aminogruppe in ω-Position enthält, z. B. L-Lysin, und einer weiteren α-Aminosäure die über die α-Carboxygruppe mit der endständigen Aminogruppe der ersten Aminosäure verknüpft ist, entsteht eine ω-Peptidbindung. Ebenso gibt es α-Aminosäuren, die neben der α-Carboxygruppe eine zweite Carboxygruppe enthalten, z. B. L-Asparaginsäure und L-Glutaminsäure. Wenn in diesem Fall über die endständige zweite Carboxygruppe und die α-Aminogruppe einer weiteren α-Aminosäure eine Amidbindung gebildet wird, so entsteht ebenfalls eine ω-Peptidbindung. In der Natur kommen auch Mischformen vor, so enthält das Tripeptid Glutathion (γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteinglycin) je eine α-Peptidbindung und eine ω-Peptidbindung. Auch ω-Peptidbindungen und α-Peptidbindungen zählen zu den Isopetidbindungen.
Asparagin, abgekürzt Asn oder N, ist in der natürlichen L-Form eine der proteinogenen α-Aminosäuren. Asparagin ist ein Derivat der Aminosäure Asparaginsäure, das statt deren γ-Carboxygruppe eine Amidgruppe trägt. Daher enthält die Seitenkette – im Unterschied zu Asparaginsäure – keine saure Gruppe, doch ist sie polar. Der Einbuchstabencode N für Asparagin wurde willkürlich zugeordnet, wobei als Merkhilfe asparagiNe vorgeschlagen wurde.
== Stereoisomerie == In biosynthetischen Proteinen kommt ausschließlich L-Asparagin [Synonym: (S)-Asparagin] neben anderen Aminosäuren peptidisch gebunden vor. Enantiomer dazu ist das spiegelbildliche D-Asparagin [Synonym: (R)-Asparagin], das in Proteinen nicht vorkommt. Racemisches DL-Asparagin [Synonym: (RS)-Asparagin] besitzt geringe Bedeutung. Wenn „Asparagin“ in der Literatur ohne weiteren Namenszusatz (Deskriptor) erwähnt wird, ist gemeinhin L-Asparagin gemeint.
Sources: de.wikipedia.org
The peptide is synthetic, but its sequence matches a segment of a protein present in human gastric juice. It does not occur as a free fifteen-residue peptide in the body.
Rodents account for the large majority of published experiments. Human data are sparse and mostly observational, so cross-species extrapolation remains uncertain.
It is not an approved therapeutic in most jurisdictions. Regulatory status varies by country, and several places restrict it as a research chemical.
BPC-157 is a synthetic fifteen-amino-acid peptide whose sequence corresponds to a fragment of a protein found in human gastric juice. It is studied mainly in preclinical research and is not an approved pharmaceutical product in major markets. Materials sold for laboratory use are typically labelled as research chemicals.