Research monograph · cyclic heptapeptide melanocortin (α-msh) analog
Melanin Production Studies
This monograph collects what the published literature reports about Melanotan II — its mechanisms, the areas it is studied in, its molecular record and the sources behind them. Closing the linear hormone into a ring markedly increases its stability and receptor affinity, but the cyclisation also costs selectivity: it engages several melanocortin receptors rather than one. Research covers both pigmentation endpoints and the broader melanocortin system.
For laboratory research use only — not for human or animal use
Mechanisms
Melanocyte Stimulation & Pigmentation
MC1R activation on melanocytes drives melanin synthesis. This is the endpoint the compound is named for and the one with the clearest dose relationship behind it.
Central Appetite & Arousal Pathways
MC4R sits in the hypothalamus rather than the skin, and engaging it produces effects unrelated to pigmentation — which is how a compound developed for one endpoint came to be studied for several.
Non-Selective Pan-MC Agonism
Cyclisation bought stability at the cost of selectivity: the molecule engages the melanocortin family broadly rather than one subtype. In research terms that breadth is a confound, not a feature.
Studied applications
MC1R activation on melanocytes is the clearest dose-response relationship the compound has.
Dorr et al. 1996
MC4R sits in the hypothalamus, and engaging it produces metabolic endpoints unrelated to pigmentation.
Fan et al. 1997
Central melanocortin signalling is studied for behavioral endpoints, the same pathway a more selective analogue was later developed around.
Wessells et al. 1998
Non-selectivity makes it a blunt but useful probe of the receptor family as a whole.
Sawyer et al. 1993
What the published work measures
The endpoints reported across the literature for this compound. The figures belong to the individual papers, not to us.
Reference values
Scroll for full molecular data →
| Sequence | Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH₂ |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 1,024.18 g/mol |
| Molecular formula | C₅₀H₆₉N₁₅O₉ |
| Physical form | Lyophilized powder |
| Documented purity | Quantified by HPLC, reported per lot |
| Storage | -20°C for long-term stability |
| Solubility | Water or bacteriostatic water |
| Available sizes | 10mg |
FAQ
Melanotan II is a cyclic analogue of alpha-MSH. Closing the linear hormone into a ring markedly increases its stability and receptor affinity, but the cyclisation also costs selectivity: it engages several melanocortin receptors rather than one. Research covers both pigmentation endpoints and the broader melanocortin system.
Published research on Melanotan II concentrates on Melanogenesis Research, Appetite & Metabolic Research, Arousal Pathway Models and Melanocortin System Probing. Each of those areas is summarised further up this page with the citation it comes from, and the full reference list — 4 indexed publications — sits at the bottom. Study designs and concentrations vary considerably between publications, so the primary sources are worth reading directly.
The literature describes Melanotan II acting across Melanocyte Stimulation & Pigmentation, Central Appetite & Arousal Pathways and Non-Selective Pan-MC Agonism, reported respectively as MC1R Agonism, MC4R Agonism and Receptor Selectivity. Those pathways are drawn from preclinical models rather than clinical work, and they describe what has been observed rather than a settled mechanism — the individual pathway cards above cite what each one is based on.
Melanotan II has a molecular formula of C50H69N15O9, an average mass of 1024.18 g/mol and the sequence Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH₂. It is indexed under CAS Melanotan II (MTII). It ships as lyophilized powder. Those are nominal reference values for the parent compound. The identity of the specific material you receive is confirmed by mass spectrometry and reported on that lot's certificate.
Store the sealed vial at -20°C, protected from light and moisture, and let it reach room temperature before opening so condensation does not form on cold powder. Melanotan II is water or bacteriostatic water; reconstitute by directing the diluent down the vial wall rather than onto the powder, then swirl to dissolve rather than shaking. Keep reconstituted solution refrigerated and avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles — solutions are far less stable than lyophilized powder.
No. Melanotan II is supplied strictly for in-vitro laboratory research and development. It is not a drug, food, supplement or cosmetic, it has not been evaluated by the FDA, and it is not intended for human or animal consumption, ingestion, injection or any in-vivo use. Ordering confirms you are a qualified researcher or institution purchasing on that basis.
Cited sources
Independent published research indexed from PubMed — not Routine Peptides claims.
Before you order
Every production run is analyzed by an independent laboratory, and the certificate for your lot travels with the order — not a catalog-wide document, and not a summary written by us.
