What Is BPC-157? Structure, Sequence and Naming Conventions

Most of what is written about BPC-157 concerns what it is said to do. This article concerns what it is — the sequence, the numbers that identify it, the names it has carried in three decades of literature, and the checks that confirm a vial labeled BPC-157 actually contains it.

The molecule

BPC-157 is a synthetic linear pentadecapeptide: fifteen residues, sequence GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, molecular formula C62H98N16O22, molecular weight 1419.53 Da, CAS 137525-51-0. The C-terminus is a free carboxylic acid — not amidated — and the sequence contains no cysteine, which means no disulfide bridges and none of the folding requirements that complicate larger peptides. It contains four prolines, an unusually high proportion, in a run that includes the PPP triplet at positions 3 to 5. Commercial material is supplied as a lyophilized solid, typically as an acetate salt.

Where the sequence comes from

The literature describes BPC-157 as a partial sequence of a protein referred to as "body protection compound", reported in human gastric juice [1][2]. The peptide sold and studied is chemically synthesized; it is not isolated from biological material. A property emphasized repeatedly in the primary literature is stability in human gastric juice, unusual for a peptide of this size and part of the reason the compound attracted sustained interest [2][3].

The names it has carried

Across thirty years of publications the same molecule appears under several designations: BPC-157 and BPC 157 interchangeably in the academic literature; PL-10, PLD-116 and PL 14736 as development designations in work connected to the Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva, principally in the inflammatory bowel disease context [1]. A buyer searching the literature should search all of them; a seller's specification sheet may cite any of them. They are the same fifteen residues.

Confirming what is in a vial

Three figures on a specification sheet, taken together, identify the material with little room for doubt. The molecular weight: a mass spectrometry identity result within a dalton of 1419.5. The sequence: fifteen residues as written above — a supplier able to state it has little reason not to. The CAS number: 137525-51-0. A sheet carrying all three, tied to a lot number and an analytical report, has answered the identity question. A sheet carrying none of them has not answered anything.

One practical note on purity figures for this compound: because BPC-157 is comparatively small and contains no difficult coupling motifs, high HPLC purity is routinely achievable and is not by itself a mark of distinction. The figures that separate suppliers are net peptide content and the verifiability of the report — both discussed elsewhere in this library.

Frequently asked questions

Is BPC 157 the same as BPC-157?

Yes. The two spellings are used interchangeably in the academic literature for the same fifteen residues.

In what form is BPC-157 supplied?

As a lyophilized solid, typically an acetate salt. The material is chemically synthesized, not isolated from biological sources.

Does BPC-157 contain cysteine?

No. It has no cysteine and therefore no disulfide bridges, and no methionine, which makes it less prone to oxidation as a solid.