Side by side

1. 1.In laboratory studies it reduces activation of NF-κB, a master switch for inflammatory signalling.
2. 2.It appears to interact with melanocortin receptors, particularly MC1 and MC3, which are involved in resolving inflammation.
3. 3.In intestinal cell models it strengthens barrier function and reduces secretion of inflammatory cytokines.
4. 4.Because it is only three amino acids long it survives digestion better than larger peptides, which is the rationale for oral use — but that rationale has not been tested in people.

• Inflammatory bowel disease models (mice and rats)
• Gut barrier permeability in cell and animal models
• Skin inflammation and wound healing (animal models)
• Bacterial killing in laboratory studies
• Human use so far is anecdotal self-report only

• Reduced colon inflammation scores in mouse colitis models
• Lower cytokine release in intestinal cell cultures
• Improved barrier integrity in laboratory models
• No human pharmacokinetic or efficacy data have been published

• No human safety data, so the true side-effect profile is unknown
• Gastrointestinal upset reported anecdotally
• Injection-site irritation with injectable forms
• Activation of melanocortin pathways could in theory affect pigmentation
• Unregulated products carry a real risk of contamination or mislabelling

Research context only — no approved human protocol exists. Animal studies used oral or injected doses in the milligram-per-kilogram range over days to weeks. Doses circulating online come from forum discussion, not from clinical research.

Research context only