Peptide Sprays

Peptides in spray form — research reagents for research into intranasal administration

Peptides in spray form are chemical reagents intended solely for laboratory research (Research Use Only) in a pre-dissolved solution format. This format is used in research into intranasal administration — considered as a model for delivering a compound to tissues under experimental conditions. They are not medicines, dietary supplements or products intended for use in humans or animals.

Research Use Only. All the reagents in this category are chemical substances for laboratory and scientific applications. They are not intended for consumption or for administration to humans or animals, they are not medicines or dietary supplements, and they do not serve for diagnosis, treatment or prevention. The descriptions refer to pharmacology and to results reported in the scientific literature — they do not constitute advice or instructions for use.

What the spray format is in a research context

Intranasal administration is one of the routes for delivering the compounds analysed in the biomedical sciences. For peptides with a central action — neuropeptides — this route is of interest to researchers, because it makes it possible to study the transport of the compound from the nasal cavity towards the central nervous system (the so-called nose–brain axis), partly bypassing the blood–brain barrier that hinders the penetration of larger molecules.

The spray format — a pre-dissolved solution of a defined concentration — is a technical way of preparing the reagent for this kind of research. Unlike a lyophilisate, it does not require reconstitution; the solution is ready to be drawn under controlled conditions. The form itself is a research tool, not a form intended for administration to humans. Intranasal administration is described here solely as a research methodology — a model for the transport of the compound, not a way of using it.

Which peptides are studied in the context of intranasal administration

The compounds below are analysed in the scientific literature in connection with the intranasal route. The descriptions concern what is the subject of research, not effects promised in humans.

• Semax — a synthetic analogue of the ACTH(4-10) fragment, studied for neuromodulation and its effect on neurotrophins (BDNF/TrkB). The intranasal route has the longest research history here among the peptides of this category.
• Selank — a tuftsin analogue, the subject of research into neuromodulation and GABA/monoamine signalling.
• Oxytocin — a nonapeptide, an agonist of the OXTR receptor, analysed in research into social neurobiology; intranasal administration is one of the most widely studied models for this compound.
• Kisspeptin — a decapeptide, an agonist of the KISS1R receptor, a regulator of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in research into reproductive physiology.
• DSIP — a nonapeptide (Delta Sleep-Inducing Peptide) studied in the context of neuromodulation and the regulation of physiological rhythms.
• Epithalon — a tetrapeptide bioregulator (AEDG) analysed in models of telomerase activity and chronobiology.
• Melanotan 2 — an α-MSH analogue, a non-selective agonist of the melanocortin receptors, a research tool in melanocortin pharmacology.

Each compound has a separate article in the knowledge base describing its mechanism and the state of the research — together with an honest note on whether clinical data from the intranasal route exist for a given molecule, or whether it remains an experimental model.

Reagent quality

The peptides in this category are supplied with full analytical documentation:

• HPLC purity ≥98% — confirmed by liquid chromatography.
• Identity confirmation by mass spectrometry (MS) — agreement of the measured mass with the theoretical mass.
• COA per batch — a certificate of analysis for each batch (HPLC profile, mass, synthesis date, batch number).
• Cold chain 2–8°C — a monitored refrigerated chain.
• Batch traceability — the batch number linked to the documentation.

The solutions in spray format are pre-dissolved reagents; their stability after first opening is described in the documentation of the specific product.

Regulatory frame

The spray-format peptides in the One-Peptides catalogue are chemical reagents with Research Use Only status. They are not medicines, dietary supplements, cosmetics or foodstuffs. They are not intended for administration to humans or animals outside a controlled experimental environment. Some of the compounds described have related counterparts registered as medicines in certain jurisdictions (e.g. oxytocin as an injectable medicine in obstetrics, Semax as a neurological preparation in Russia) — these are separate regulatory frames, which should not be confused with a research reagent. Medicine status applies solely to registered medicinal products, not to RUO reagents.

Related content in the knowledge base

The mechanism and the state of the research for the individual compounds are expanded in dedicated articles: Semax, Selank, Oxytocin, Kisspeptin, DSIP, Epithalon and Melanotan 2. The broader context of neuropeptides and receptor pharmacology is organised by the pillar articles of the One-Peptides knowledge base.