Semaglutide: reagent form, reconstitution and storage
Intended for research use only. Not a medicinal product.
Contents (5 sections)
Physical form and specification
Semaglutide is a synthetic, lipidated analogue of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and an agonist at its receptor. As a reagent it is supplied as a white to off-white lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder; identity is confirmed by mass spectrometry. The specification requires a minimum purity of 98% by HPLC as the qualification threshold for a batch to ship. That is a raw-material quality requirement, not the purity of your specific batch: the actual measured value typically runs well above this floor. Check the exact purity of your batch and the current range of available package sizes on the product page and in that batch’s CoA.
Reconstitution
The lyophilizate is reconstituted directly in the vial. In laboratory practice, bacteriostatic water (water with 0.9% benzyl alcohol) or sterile water is used; a phosphate-buffered saline at slightly alkaline pH is also suitable for stock solutions. Add the diluent slowly, directing the stream against the vial wall rather than onto the powder, then swirl the vial gently without shaking until fully dissolved. Semaglutide is readily soluble in aqueous buffers; vigorous shaking generates foam and can cause mechanical denaturation and aggregation of the peptide, so it should be avoided.
Storage
A sealed lyophilized vial is stable in a freezer (−20 °C) and remains usable for months; short-term storage at 2–8 °C is acceptable. Protect the material from light and moisture. Once reconstituted, keep the solution at 2–8 °C: a bacteriostatic diluent limits microbial growth and extends the working life of the stock to several weeks. For long-term storage, prepare aliquots and freeze them, avoiding repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which reduce activity.
Stability
Semaglutide is notable for its high metabolic stability. Substitution of alanine with 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) at position 8 protects the molecule from cleavage by dipeptidyl peptidase-4, while the attached C18 diacid chain confers reversible binding to albumin, together these account for the long half-life of roughly 7 days observed in research models. In solution the peptide is susceptible to oxidation and aggregation at room temperature, so working solutions are best prepared immediately before an experiment.
Research applications
The reagent is used in studies of GLP-1 receptor signaling, glucose metabolism, satiety mechanisms and energy homeostasis, both in vitro and in animal models. Stock solutions are standardized by concentration to construct dose-response curves in cell lines expressing the GLP-1 receptor. Package size is a matter of the scope of your research project; check the product page for the current lineup.
A full review of the mechanism and clinical data is available in the monograph.
End of article
Semaglutide
for laboratory research
Packs and current prices on the product page.