Compound monograph
Pal-GHK (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1)
Pal-GHK is the N-palmitoylated derivative of the GHK tripeptide, used as a cosmetic ingredient and as an analytical internal standard.
01
Identity & nomenclature
Pal-GHK is the N-palmitoylated derivative of the GHK tripeptide, used as a cosmetic ingredient and as an analytical internal standard.
'Palmitoyl oligopeptide' is not a unique identifier and should be kept only as a qualified alias; it is used for other lipidated peptides too. Pal-GHK is also not GHK-Cu with a delivery modification bolted on: acylating the N-terminal amine alters a group that participates in GHK's copper coordination, so copper behaviour must be measured for this molecule rather than inherited from the free ligand.
Declared aliases and development codes: Pal-GHK, N-palmitoyl-GHK, C16-GHK, Palmitoyl oligopeptide.
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Molecular properties
| Molecular formula | C30H54N6O5 |
|---|---|
| Molecular mass | 578.8 Da |
| CAS Registry Number | 147732-56-7 |
| PubChem CID | 10231864 |
| UNII | RV743D216M |
| Three-letter sequence | Pal–Gly–His–Lys–OH |
The GHK tripeptide with a hexadecanoyl (palmitoyl) cap on the glycine alpha-amino group. 'Pal' is the acyl cap, not an amino-acid token. The lysine side-chain amine and the C-terminal carboxyl remain free. No copper is part of this identity.
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Structural characteristics
The exact-compound evidence here is physicochemical rather than biological. A direct comparison of three palmitoylated peptides found that C16-KTTKS forms flat tapes and extended fibrils with high beta-sheet content and stains with Congo red, while C16-GHK forms crystal-like aggregates with lower beta-sheet content — all three sharing similar critical aggregation concentrations governed by the lipid chain. That is a real, measured difference between Pal-GHK and Matrixyl, and it is not a shared receptor. No direct biological receptor is established for this compound, and effects demonstrated for Pal-KTTKS or for multi-ingredient formulations must not be assigned to it.
Terminal features: N-terminal palmitoylation.
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Molecular targets & mechanisms
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Analytical considerations
Establish both the GHK sequence and palmitoylation on the GLYCINE alpha-amino group: a lysine-side-chain-palmitoylated positional isomer has the same elemental composition. Tandem MS, and NMR where connectivity stays ambiguous. Confirm the acyl chain identity and assess residual unmodified GHK separately. Aggregation measurements supplement chemical identity testing rather than replacing it — differences in concentration-dependent assembly are not evidence of a different sequence. Note that this compound serves as the internal standard in a published LC-MS/MS method for pal-KTTKS in cosmetic formulations, which is a use that depends on its identity being unambiguous.
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Verified bibliography
- Self-assembly of palmitoyl lipopeptides used in skin care products.current
Castelletto V, Hamley IW, Whitehouse C, Matts PJ, Osborne R, Baker ES
Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids · 2013-07-12 · Journal Article
- Development of a LC-MS/MS method to monitor palmitoyl peptides content in anti-wrinkle cosmetics.current
Chirita RI, Chaimbault P, Archambault JC, Robert I, Elfakir C
Analytica chimica acta · 2009-03-20 · Journal Article
- SPARC is a source of copper-binding peptides that stimulate angiogenesis.current
Lane TF, Iruela-Arispe ML, Johnson RS, Sage EH
The Journal of cell biology · 1994-05 · Journal Article
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Methodology & citation verification
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