Description
Oxytocin peptide at a glance
Oxytocin is a nine-amino-acid cyclic neuropeptide hormone (CYIQNCPLG-NH2) whose two cysteines are joined by a disulfide bridge (Di Giglio et al., 2017). It was the first polypeptide hormone ever synthesized, work recognized with the 1955 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Nobel Prize), and synthetic oxytocin is used clinically to produce uterine contractions (Pitocin label). Research now extends to receptor signaling, social cognition and sexual-function trials. Ellepeptides lists one 10 mg vial in the Tanning & Libido category and the Peptides for Women hub.
- Molecule type: cyclic nonapeptide amide; oxytocin-receptor (OXTR) agonist
- Vial size: 10 mg (single size)
- Listed price: from $59.99 USD
- Form: freeze-dried (lyophilized) powder
- Ships within the US; free shipping for merchandise subtotals over $200
- For laboratory research only — not a clinical oxytocin product
Oxytocin vial sizes and price per mg
| Vial size | Listed price (USD) | Price per mg |
|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | $59.99 | $6.00 |
The USD figure was correct when this page was written; the amount beside Add to cart is the one charged. No bulk discount is promised, and any coupon saving shows only in the cart.
Oxytocin compound profile
| Catalog compound | Oxytocin |
|---|---|
| Amount per vial | 10 mg |
| Reference class | Cyclic nonapeptide |
| Research receptor | Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) |
| Molecular reference form | Cyclic oxytocin; counterion excluded |
| Reference CAS number | 50-56-6 |
| Reference molecular formula | C43H66N12O12S2 |
| Reference molar mass | 1007.2 g/mol |
| Reference sequence and structure | CYIQNCPLG-NH2; Cys1–Cys6 disulfide |
These are the reference values for free oxytocin in PubChem (CID 439302). Salt forms such as oxytocin acetate carry a counterion that is excluded here, and none of these rows describes the analyzed contents of a particular vial.
How Oxytocin works in research
Oxytocin binds a G-protein-coupled receptor, OXTR, whose activation can trigger intracellular signaling that includes calcium release (Elabd et al., 2014). Its ring — six residues closed by the Cys1–Cys6 disulfide — plus a three-residue tail ending in an amidated glycine define the reference molecule (Di Giglio et al.), matching the structure cataloged in PubChem.
The clinical label adds context researchers often overlook. Clinical oxytocin is prepared synthetically to avoid contamination with vasopressin, its potency is expressed in units rather than milligrams, its plasma half-life is about 1 to 6 minutes and shortens in late pregnancy and lactation, and it has an intrinsic antidiuretic effect that increases water reabsorption (Pitocin prescribing information).
Experimental models reach well beyond the uterus. In a 2014 mouse study, oxytocin signaling was examined in age-related muscle repair and was associated with improved regeneration in older animals (Elabd et al.). A mouse injury model, however, cannot establish an anti-aging or recovery effect in people.
Key Oxytocin studies
| Year | Study & model | What was measured | Main finding | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | du Vigneaud; Nobel Prize in Chemistry | Synthesis of a polypeptide hormone | First synthesis of a polypeptide hormone (oxytocin) | nobelprize.org |
| 2014 | Elabd et al.; young and old mice | Muscle regeneration | Improved regeneration in older animals | Nature Communications |
| 2015 | Muin et al.; crossover, 30 pre- and postmenopausal women | Sexual-function questionnaires | Both oxytocin and placebo periods improved; no significant difference | PubMed |
| 2015 | Nave et al.; critical review | Oxytocin and trust | Intranasal trust finding has not replicated well | PubMed |
| 2017 | Parker et al.; 32 children with autism | Social responsiveness | Improvement only when pretreatment measures were modeled | PubMed |
| 2021 | Sikich et al.; 290 children and adolescents, 24 weeks | Social and cognitive measures | No significant between-group difference | PubMed |
| 2022 | Guastella et al.; 87 children, 12 weeks | Social responsiveness | No overall effect | PubMed |
| 2023 | Moussa et al.; 50 postmenopausal women, vaginal gel, 14 days | Mucosal color, pH, maturation index | Changes favored oxytocin gel; small, short trial | ISSM summary |
The social-cognition story shows why replication matters. Nave, Camerer and McCullough concluded that the headline finding — intranasal oxytocin increasing trust — has not replicated well, and that the evidence does not reliably show trust is associated with or caused by oxytocin (Nave et al., 2015).
Pediatric autism trials followed the same arc. Parker’s 2017 study of 32 children reported better social-responsiveness scores only when pretreatment neuropeptide levels were included in the model (Parker et al.). Larger trials did not confirm a benefit: 290 children and adolescents over 24 weeks showed no significant difference (Sikich et al., 2021), and 87 children over 12 weeks showed no overall effect (Guastella et al.).
Oxytocin research involving women
Oxytocin’s best-established clinical role is in women: the US label indicates it for starting or improving uterine contractions before delivery and for the third stage of labor and postpartum bleeding control (Pitocin label). Those supervised obstetric uses are unrelated to research powder.
Two controlled studies outside obstetrics stand out. Muin’s 2015 crossover enrolled 30 premenopausal and postmenopausal women with sexual dysfunction; questionnaire scores improved in both the nasal-oxytocin and placebo periods, with no statistically significant difference (Muin et al.). Moussa’s 2023 trial randomized 50 postmenopausal women aged 47 to 66 with vulvovaginal atrophy to an oxytocin or plain gel for 14 nights; mucosal color changed in all 25 oxytocin participants versus 4 of 25 controls, with lower vaginal pH and a higher maturation index (ISSM summary of Moussa et al.).
Both trials are small and short and used formulated preparations. Neither establishes long-term outcomes, and the placebo response in the 2015 study shows how easily improvement over time can be mistaken for a treatment effect.
Oxytocin vs Kisspeptin-10, PT-141 and Selank
| Compound | Type | Main research focus | Sizes on Ellepeptides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxytocin | Cyclic nonapeptide; OXTR agonist | Labor physiology, social cognition, sexual function | 10 mg |
| Kisspeptin-10 | Ten-residue amidated peptide; KISS1R agonist | LH and FSH release; cycle physiology | 5 mg, 50 mg |
| PT-141 (bremelanotide) | Cyclic heptapeptide; melanocortin agonist | Desire and distress in premenopausal women with HSDD | 10 mg |
| Selank | Seven-residue tuftsin analogue (Volkova 2016) | Gene expression in rats; small anxiety studies | 5 mg, 10 mg |
Oxytocin and Kisspeptin-10 are both hypothalamic signaling peptides tied to reproduction, but kisspeptin acts upstream of LH and FSH while oxytocin acts directly on its own receptor. PT-141 is the compound with the strongest controlled data on desire in women, and Selank sits in anxiety-related research.
Oxytocin handling, storage and reconstitution math
The vial label governs storage and should be read first. Generic good practice for a freeze-dried peptide is to keep it closed, dry and out of light and heat. Arithmetic for concentration is mass over volume: as an illustration only, 10 mg in 5 mL is 2 mg/mL (2,000 µg/mL). Because clinical oxytocin is described in units, do not convert milligrams to units without a validated conversion for your material. The peptide calculator handles mass and volume, and Bacteriostatic Water 30 mL is available where a protocol specifies it.
Ordering Oxytocin in the US
Oxytocin ships to addresses within the United States. When the merchandise subtotal exceeds $200 after coupon discounts (before taxes and shipping), shipping is free; otherwise standard shipping is $15.99 per order. Delivery options and the available payment methods are shown at checkout, so please check the shipping policy for current details. Questions can go to [email protected].
Oxytocin FAQ
What is oxytocin peptide?
Oxytocin is a nine-amino-acid cyclic neuropeptide hormone with a disulfide bridge and an amidated end. It acts on the oxytocin receptor and is best known for uterine contraction. Ellepeptides supplies it as a 10 mg lyophilized vial for laboratory research, not as a clinical product.
What is oxytocin acetate?
Oxytocin acetate is a salt form of the peptide in which acetate is the counterion. The reference values on this page describe the parent molecule with the counterion excluded, so molecular mass differs from a salt-form figure. Check the vial label for the form supplied.
Is research oxytocin the same as Pitocin?
No. Pitocin is a formulated clinical product standardized to 10 units of oxytocic activity per mL and used under hospital supervision in labor. Research oxytocin is a lyophilized powder sold by mass in milligrams. Same molecule, entirely different product and purpose.
How much does oxytocin peptide cost in the US?
The 10 mg vial is listed at $59.99 USD at the time of writing, which is about $6.00 per mg. The live price beside Add to cart applies. Free shipping starts once the merchandise subtotal exceeds $200 after coupon discounts.
What oxytocin peptide benefits have been studied?
Researchers have tested oxytocin in social cognition, autism, sexual function and vaginal atrophy, as well as muscle repair in mice. Results are mixed: large autism trials found no significant benefit, a women’s sexual-function trial found no difference from placebo, and a small vaginal-gel trial reported favorable tissue measures.
Does intranasal oxytocin increase trust?
The evidence is weak. A 2015 critical review concluded that the well-known finding of increased trust after intranasal oxytocin has not replicated well, and that trust is not reliably associated with or caused by oxytocin. Later pediatric social-behavior trials were also largely negative.
What side effects of oxytocin have been reported?
The clinical label lists maternal reactions including nausea, vomiting, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertensive episodes, postpartum hemorrhage and uterine rupture, and warns that severe water intoxication has occurred with slow infusion because of oxytocin’s antidiuretic effect. These relate to obstetric use, not laboratory material.
What is the half-life of oxytocin?
The US prescribing information gives a plasma half-life of about 1 to 6 minutes, shorter in late pregnancy and during lactation. That very short half-life describes the hormone in the body; it is not stability or shelf-life data for a lyophilized vial.
Is there an oxytocin nasal spray or cream?
Published studies used nasal preparations and, in one recent trial, a vaginal gel — all formulated products tested in specific settings. Ellepeptides sells oxytocin only as lyophilized powder in a 10 mg vial; there are no sprays, creams or capsules in the catalog.
Has oxytocin been studied in women?
Yes. Beyond obstetric use, a 2015 crossover in 30 pre- and postmenopausal women found improvement with both oxytocin and placebo, and a 2023 trial in 50 postmenopausal women with vaginal atrophy reported favorable tissue changes with an oxytocin gel. Both were small.
How should an oxytocin vial be stored?
Follow the storage conditions on the vial label first. Lyophilized peptides are generally kept closed, dry and away from light and heat, and any solution needs stability limits from your own validated method. Use the peptide calculator for mass-and-volume arithmetic.
Oxytocin references
- Nobel Prize Outreach (1955). Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Vincent du Vigneaud. nobelprize.org
- Di Giglio MG et al. (2017). Oxytocin-family structural comparison. Nature
- Elabd C et al. (2014). Oxytocin and muscle regeneration. Nature
- Muin DA et al. (2015). Crossover trial in women with sexual dysfunction. PubMed 26151620
- Nave G, Camerer C, McCullough M (2015). Oxytocin and trust: a critical review. PubMed 26581735
- Parker KJ et al. (2017). Biomarker-informed trial in children. PubMed 28696286
- Sikich L et al. (2021). Intranasal oxytocin in autism. PubMed 34644471
- Guastella AJ et al. (2022 online). Trial in young children. PubMed 36302965
- Moussa A et al. (2023). Oxytocin gel and vaginal atrophy. J Sex Med. ISSM summary
- Pitocin (oxytocin) US prescribing information. DailyMed
- Volkova A et al. (2016). Selank background. PMC4757669
- PubChem. Oxytocin (CID 439302). pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Related research materials: Peptides for Women, Tanning & Libido peptides, Kisspeptin-10, PT-141, Selank and our research standards page. For laboratory research only. Not for human or veterinary use.
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