Storage of Peptides

Storing your peptides correctly whether they are reconstituted or not is pivotal in how they perform. A big difference is in the temperature of when they are reconstituted versus when they are still in lyophilized form.

Typically, when in lyophilized form peptides will remain stable at room temperature for approximately 30 days, Ideal storage when lyophilised would be refrigerated in the short term or in the freezer long term.

Once a peptide is reconstituted form the rule of thumb is to maintain a temperature between 2°C to 8°C. In many cases, this would mean storing it in your refrigerator which is a perfectly viable option.

Peptide Reconstitution

Proper reconstitution and maintenance of your peptides are pivotal in how well they work for you. If not stored or reconstituted correctly, you risk damage to or degradation of your peptides. But why do you need to reconstitute your peptides in the first place?

These substances mainly come as a compound that has been lyophilized. This phrase basically means that they have been turned into a freeze-dried crystalline powder. In order to use your peptides, you’ll need to add fluid to them. This is where the phrase reconstitution comes from.

However, you cannot add just any fluid to your compound. Great care needs to be taken to ensure that your peptide is not damaged during this process.

Bacteriostatic Water Vs. Sterile Water

During peptide reconstitution, two variations of solutions are popular. These two solutions are sterile water and bacteriostatic water. The choice is purely up to the user which solution to use. However, there are some differences between the two.

Differences Between Bacteriostatic Water vs. Sterile Water

For bacteriostatic water, for instance, it is not like the sterile water in that it can be used several times within a 28-hour span. In fact, because of this reason, bacteriostatic water is fairly popular among scientists. It is considered a non-pyrogenic solution, meaning that it does not conduct heat or fever when introduced to the body. It contains roughly 0.9% benzyl alcohol. This variation of alcohol is an aromatic alcohol. In terms of chemistry, they are a compound that contains a hydroxyl group that is indirectly bonded to an aromatic compound. This gives it a pleasant smell. All of this basically comes down to is that the liquid is made in a way where bacteria cannot grow. That’s what makes it more user friendly since it can be used multiple times.

As for regular sterile water, it too has its own positives. It too is a non-pyrogenic liquid. However, unlike the bacteriostatic water, the sterile water can only be used once and once opened and used would need to be discarded. In many cases, when the body doesn’t particularly fair well with bacteriostatic water, this is a good substitute.