Research Peptide Glossary: Common Terms Every Buyer Should Understand

A peptide is a short chain of amino acids linked together. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins; when a small number of them are joined in sequence, the result is a peptide. Research peptides are synthetic versions produced for laboratory study, each with a defined amino acid sequence.

Lyophilised means freeze-dried. Research peptides are supplied as a lyophilised powder because they are far more stable in this dry form than in solution. The powder must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before use.

Reconstitution is the process of dissolving a lyophilised peptide powder into a liquid by adding bacteriostatic water. The volume of water added determines the concentration of the resulting solution.

Bacteriostatic water is sterile water containing a small amount of benzyl alcohol, an agent that inhibits bacterial growth. It is the preferred diluent for reconstituting peptides because it allows the solution to be stored for several weeks.

HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) is the analytical technique used to measure a peptide's purity. It separates the components of a sample and quantifies the proportion that is the target peptide, producing the purity percentage stated on a Certificate of Analysis.

Mass spectrometry is the technique used to confirm a peptide's identity by measuring its molecular weight. If the measured mass matches the expected mass for the peptide's sequence, its identity is verified.

A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a document issued by an independent laboratory recording a peptide's identity, purity, and the testing methods used. A batch-matched COA is specific to the exact batch received, rather than a generic document.

Purity is the proportion of a sample that is the target peptide, expressed as a percentage and measured by HPLC. High-quality research peptides are typically ≥98% or ≥99% pure, with the remainder being impurities such as truncated sequences.

RUO stands for Research Use Only. It indicates that a product is intended solely for laboratory research and is not for human or animal consumption. All research peptides are sold on this basis.

A blend is a research product combining two or more peptides in a single vial. The Wolverine blend, which pairs BPC-157 with TB-500, is a well-known example, allowing two complementary mechanisms to be studied together.