Reference
What is Oxytocin Acetate?
Oxytocin is a nonapeptide — nine residues, with a disulphide bridge closing part of the chain into a ring. It is a naturally occurring hormone, not a designed molecule.
Classification
| Type | Peptide |
| Chain length | 9 amino acid residues |
| Family | Nonapeptide hormone |
| Origin | Structure determined and synthesised by Vincent du Vigneaud, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1955 |
| Supplied as | Lyophilised powder in a sealed vial |
It has a particular place in chemistry: du Vigneaud's determination of its structure and subsequent synthesis was the first time a polypeptide hormone had been synthesised, and it won the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The "acetate" in the product name refers to the salt form the material is supplied as, not to a different molecule.
Where it sits by length
At 9 residues, Oxytocin Acetate is a short chain — an oligopeptide by the usual convention. The boundary is a convention, not a rule of chemistry — chains up to roughly fifty residues are generally called peptides.
What this page does not cover
Nothing here describes what Oxytocin Acetate does, what it is used for, or whether it is safe. We publish analytical results and ship parcels; we give no guidance on dosing, preparation or use, and that applies to our reference pages as much as to the product pages. The person to ask about any of that is a registered prescriber.
Related by family
Where it came from
Oxytocin’s activity was known from 1906. Its sequence, and the first laboratory synthesis of any peptide hormone, came in 1953.
1953 — Cornell University Medical College, New York. When was oxytocin discovered?
More on Oxytocin Acetate
See Oxytocin Acetate in the range · What is a peptide? · Discovery timeline · All reference
