The short answer
BPC-157 is C62H98N16O22 at 1419.5 Da: fifteen residues, net negatively charged, readily water-soluble, with a rigid polyproline segment hinged by flexible glycines. It carries none of the residues that normally dictate peptide handling.
Key facts
- Formula
- C62H98N16O22
- Molecular weight
- 1419.5 Da
- Net charge
- Negative at physiological pH
- Solubility
- Readily water-soluble
- Conformation
- Rigid proline runs, flexible glycine hinges
- Absent
- Cysteine, methionine, aromatics
Charge and solubility
Three acidic residues against one basic gives a net negative charge at physiological pH. Combined with the absence of any substantial hydrophobic patch (leucine and valine at the C-terminus are the only markedly hydrophobic residues), the peptide is strongly hydrophilic and dissolves readily in aqueous buffer.
A mixed conformational architecture
This is what distinguishes BPC-157 physically from the flexible heptapeptides elsewhere in this library. Three consecutive prolines form a locked, extended polyproline segment; glycines at 1, 6 and 13 provide flexibility around it. The molecule is neither a rigid rod nor a random coil but something in between, with defined and undefined regions.
Research material referenced
BPC-157 5mg, third-party HPLC tested
Why that might matter functionally
A partially structured peptide pays a smaller entropic penalty on binding than a fully flexible one, because some of its conformational freedom is already constrained. Whether that is relevant to BPC-157's reported activity is unknown (no receptor is established), but it is a real structural difference from a peptide of comparable size with no proline.
The absent liabilities
No cysteine means no disulfide chemistry. No methionine means no thioether oxidation. No asparagine adjacent to glycine means the classic deamidation hotspot is absent, though aspartate-glycine at positions 11 to 13 deserves mention as a site where aspartate-related rearrangement can occur in some sequences.
The analytical inconvenience
No aromatic residue means no absorbance near 280 nm and no spectrophotometric quantification. Concentration must be established gravimetrically from a certified peptide content, or by another analytical route. This recurs across several categories in this library and is a real practical nuisance rather than a technicality.
Quick reference
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Sequence | GEPPPGKPADDAGLV |
| Molecular weight | 1419.5 Da |
| Formula | C62H98N16O22 |
| CAS | 137525-51-0 |
| PubChem CID | 9941957 |
| UNII | 8ED8NXK95P |
Frequently asked questions
- Is BPC-157 charged?
- Net negatively. Three acidic residues (Glu2, Asp10, Asp11) against one basic (Lys7).
- Is it structured or flexible?
- Both. Three consecutive prolines form a rigid polyproline segment; glycines provide flexible hinges around it.
- Does it need a reducing agent?
- No. There is no cysteine in the sequence.
Extended research context
The BPC-157 (Pentadecapeptide) deep dive
Deep dive: the pentadecapeptide sequence
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide with the sequence Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val. It is derived from a fragment identified in human gastric juice by the Zagreb research group (Sikirić and colleagues), whose body of published work spans three decades and covers models ranging from tendon repair to gut integrity. The 'BPC' initials stand for 'body protection compound', the group's original characterisation term.
Two forms: acetate salt vs arginate
BPC-157 is supplied most commonly as an acetate salt; a small subset of suppliers offer the arginate form, which has slightly different solubility and stability properties. For research reproducibility, keep the salt form consistent across a study and confirm which form the CoA specifies (mass ± counterion changes the reading).
Reading a BPC-157 CoA
A trustworthy BPC-157 CoA lists HPLC purity (target ≥98% area), mass-spec confirmation (~1,419 Da for the free peptide), water content (Karl Fischer), acetate content, and residual solvents. Some batches also include endotoxin data. Any missing category is a red flag for a compromised supply chain.
Research applications
- ▸Cell-culture models of gut epithelial integrity
- ▸Tendon fibroblast migration and collagen-synthesis assays
- ▸Angiogenesis models involving VEGF and NO signalling
- ▸Stability studies comparing acetate vs arginate salt forms
- ▸Analytical reference for pentadecapeptide HPLC methods
Handling checklist
- ✓Store lyophilised vial at −20 °C long-term (2–8 °C short-term)
- ✓Reconstitute with bacteriostatic water; a 5 mg vial dissolves cleanly
- ✓Aliquot reconstituted solution; keep refrigerated 2–8 °C, use within 28 days
- ✓Protect from light and repeated warming
- ✓Verify CoA: HPLC ≥98%, mass ~1,419 Da, salt form declared
Common research-handling mistakes
Learnt from thousands of researcher orders across our UK labs.
✗ Mixing acetate and arginate BPC-157 across a study
Fix: Choose one salt form and stay with it. Different masses and solubility.
✗ Assuming stability at room temperature
Fix: Refrigerate reconstituted solution; discard after 28 days.
✗ Buying without a CoA
Fix: Only source from suppliers that publish batch HPLC + mass-spec data.
Continue researching
Peer-reviewed guides, comparators and matched reference materials.
Related questions researchers ask
- What does BPC-157 stand for?
- Is BPC-157 the same as pentadecapeptide?
- Who discovered BPC-157?
- What is the difference between BPC-157 acetate and arginate?
- How is BPC-157 reconstituted for research?
Primary sources & clinical trials
Peer-reviewed research and registered trials from PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubChem, FDA and NIH. All links open in a new tab and point to the primary source, so every claim can be verified at origin.
- PubChemPubChem · BPC-157 (CID 9941957)pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedSikiric P et al. Curr Pharm Des 2011 (PMID 21548867)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedSikiric P et al., Fistulas Healing: Stable Gastric Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 Therapy. Curr Pharm Des 2020 (PMID 32329684)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedKrivic A et al., Achilles detachment in rat and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157. J Orthop Res 2006 (PMID 16583442)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedCerovecki T et al., Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 improves ligament healing in the rat. J Orthop Res 2010 (PMID 20225319)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedSeiwerth S et al., BPC 157 and blood vessels. Curr Pharm Des 2014 (PMID 23782145)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMedNIH PubMed: Complete BPC-157 literature (Sikiric group)pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- GuidelineGoogle: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first contentdevelopers.google.com
Written and reviewed by
The UK Peptides Editorial Team · Research library, UK Peptides
The editorial team is responsible for supplier selection, batch release decisions and the content published in this research library. Every article here is sourced to primary literature and every product page to a signed third-party certificate. Corrections are made in place and the review date updated.
More BPC-157 (Pentadecapeptide) articles
- Pentadecapeptide: The Word and What It Tells YouPenta-deca-peptide is fifteen. Where BPC-157 sits on the spectrum from short peptide to protein, and why fifteen residues is a useful size.
- What Does BPC-157 Stand For?BPC is body protection compound; 157 is a series designation with no chemical meaning. Why the name is a claim and where it came from.
- Body Protection Compound: A Name That Is a HypothesisThe name records what the Zagreb group believed they had found. What that framing asserts, and how to read a compound named for a proposed function.
- The Gastric Juice OriginBPC-157 is a partial sequence of a protein identified in human gastric juice. What that means, and what it does not mean about the peptide itself.
- The Stability Claim, ExaminedThe literature calls it the stable gastric pentadecapeptide. What stability means here, what supports the claim, and what it does not imply.
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