Melanotan-II is a synthetic cyclic heptapeptide analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), originally developed at the University of Arizona. Its cyclic structure (Ac-Nle-c[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2) includes a lactam bridge between Asp and Lys side chains, with non-standard amino acids preventing standard single-letter sequence representation.
Research dosages: Loading phase typically 200 mcg/day subcutaneously for ~1 week, then maintenance of 100 mcg twice weekly after desired pigmentation is reached. For erectile function research, ~0.025 mg/kg has been used. Not approved by FDA or EMA; health agencies advise against unlicensed use due to safety concerns including nausea and cardiovascular effects.
Mechanisms of Action
3Benefits
3Skin tanning / melanogenesis
Body CompositionStimulates melanin production, producing tanning effect with reduced UV exposure needed. Demonstrated in human clinical studies.
Erectile function and sexual arousal
Sexual HealthProduces spontaneous penile erections and increased sexual arousal in both men and women via MC4R activation. Phase I/II clinical data available.
Appetite suppression
MetabolicMay reduce appetite and food intake through central melanocortin signaling, though this is secondary to its primary uses.
Dosage Data
3Study: Melanotan products are currently purchased over the Internet and are designed to... Year: 2012 | Route: intravenous
Study: Melanotan products are currently purchased over the Internet and are designed to... Year: 2012 | Route: intravenous
Study: The effects of melanotan-II, a non-specific agonist of melanocortin receptors, o... Year: 2006
Research Studies
16With peptides increasingly favored as drugs, natural product motifs, namely the tryptathionine stapl...
Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · Mihajlo Todorovic, Antoine Blanc, Zhou Wang, Jerome Lozada, ...
Obesity is a major health problem worldwide. An understanding of the factors that drive feeding beha...
Neuropeptides · Nicole L Eliason, Lynne Martin, Malcolm J Low, Amanda L Shar...
The pleiotropic role played by melanocortin receptors (MCRs) in both physiological and pathological ...
Journal of medicinal chemistry · Stefano Tomassi, Marilisa Pia Dimmito, Minying Cai, Antonia ...
Renal infarction is an uncommon condition resulting from an acute disruption of renal blood flow and...
CEN case reports · Björn Peters, Henrik Hadimeri, Rebecka Wahlberg, Henri Afgha...
Peptides have become a fast-growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry over the past few decades...
Analytica chimica acta · Bingming Chen, Marissa Vavrek, Richard Gundersdorf, Wendy Zh...
This database is for educational and research purposes only. It is not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before using any peptide or supplement.