GLOW peptide is not one peptide: it is a co-formulated research blend of three synthetic peptides, BPC-157 (10 mg), TB-500 (10 mg) and GHK-Cu (50 mg), supplied as a single 70 mg lyophilized vial for in vitro research. This short guide answers the definitional question component by component, with the sequence, CAS number, formula and molecular weight of each, and explains why the blend's molar composition looks nothing like its mass composition.
What does "GLOW peptide" actually refer to?
"GLOW" is a catalog name for a three-component blend. Search queries such as "GLOW peptide", "GLOW blend" and "GLOW blend peptide" all point at the same product: GLOW, a 70 mg vial in which three peptides have been combined before lyophilization. There is no molecule called GLOW; in a methods section the material should be described by its components, with their CAS numbers, exactly as a laboratory would describe any mixed reagent.
| Component | Listed mass per vial | Residues | CAS number | Formula | MW (g/mol) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | 10 mg | 15 | 137525-51-0 | C62H98N16O22 | 1419.5 |
| TB-500 | 10 mg | 43 | 77591-33-4 | C212H350N56O78S | 4963 |
| GHK-Cu | 50 mg | 3 (copper complex) | 89030-95-5 | C14H23CuN6O4 | 402.92 |
What is BPC-157 in the blend?
A 15-residue linear peptide, Gly-Glu-Pro-Pro-Pro-Gly-Lys-Pro-Ala-Asp-Asp-Ala-Gly-Leu-Val, with the formula C62H98N16O22 and a molecular weight of 1419.5 g/mol. The sequence corresponds to a fragment of a protein found in gastric juice, and the peptide is notable for its stability in acidic solution. It is supplied on its own as BPC-157; its chemistry is set out in the BPC-157 and TB-500 primer.
What is TB-500 in the blend?
The synthetic form of thymosin beta-4: 43 residues, N-terminally acetylated, formula C212H350N56O78S and a molecular weight of about 4963 g/mol. It is largely unstructured in solution and carries the actin-binding motif LKKTET. At 10 mg it contributes the fewest molecules of the three, because its molecular weight is three and a half times that of BPC-157 and twelve times that of GHK-Cu. It is supplied on its own as TB-500.
What is GHK-Cu in the blend?
The tripeptide Gly-His-Lys complexed with a copper(II) ion, formula C14H23CuN6O4, 402.92 g/mol. At 50 mg it is the largest component by mass and, because it is the smallest molecule, by far the largest by molarity. The copper is what gives the whole vial its blue colour. The coordination chemistry and the difference between the free tripeptide and the copper complex are explained in GHK-Cu copper coordination chemistry and GHK vs GHK-Cu.
Why do the ratios matter?
By mass the blend is 1 : 1 : 5. By molarity it is roughly 3.5 : 1 : 62. Reconstituting the full vial in 1 mL gives about 7.0 mM BPC-157, 2.0 mM TB-500 and 124 mM GHK-Cu. A cell-culture experiment that wants, say, 1 µM of each peptide cannot get there from a single dilution of the blend; it has to accept the fixed ratio or add single components. The full worked numbers are in the GLOW 70 mg concentration-math guide, and the general conventions for describing a blend are in multi-peptide research blend terminology.
How do you confirm all three peptides are present?
From the COA: three HPLC purity values and three mass-spectrometry identities, one per component, rather than a single number for the vial. The blue colour confirms copper, and nothing else. The blend-specific checks are listed in verifying a multi-component blend COA.
Related research guides
- GLOW peptide blend: components and in-vitro dermal research profile
- GLOW 70 mg vial: specification and stock concentration math
- GLOW vs KLOW: what KPV adds to the blend
- GHK-Cu: copper-binding chemistry and in vitro applications
- The BPC-157/TB-500 blend: composition and in vitro handling
Research-use note
All materials discussed are supplied for in vitro laboratory research use only, and are not for human or animal use.
