All products are for laboratory research purposes only. Not for human consumption.
Cyclic nine-residue neurohypophysial hormone with a 1-6 disulfide bridge
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is a nine-residue cyclic peptide made in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary. A disulfide bridge between the cysteines at positions 1 and 6 closes it into a ring with a three-residue tail. It differs from vasopressin at only two positions, which is why cross-reactivity between the two receptor systems runs through the literature. Supplied as a lyophilised powder in sealed vials, boxed in tens, for laboratory research use only.
$67.28 (£53.15) per box of 10 vials · 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg
Select size
Boxes
- Sold in boxes of 10 vials. No minimum order and no trade account.
- Dispatched in 1–2 working days, tracked to the UK, USA, EU and worldwide.
- Batch-specific Certificate of Analysis from Janoshik or Freedom Diagnostic in every box.
- Photographed before it ships, so you see the exact order that leaves us.
Overview
What is Oxytocin?
Oxytocin is a nine-residue cyclic peptide made in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary. A disulfide bridge between the cysteines at positions 1 and 6 closes it into a ring with a three-residue tail. It differs from vasopressin at only two positions, which is why cross-reactivity between the two receptor systems runs through the literature. Supplied as a lyophilised powder in sealed vials, boxed in tens, for laboratory research use only.
Oxytocin at a glance
| Compound | Oxytocin |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Oxytocin acetate, OT, Pitocin, Syntocinon, Oxytocin peptide |
| Classification | Cyclic nine-residue neurohypophysial hormone with a 1-6 disulfide bridge |
| CAS number | 50-56-6 |
| Molecular formula | C43H66N12O12S2 |
| Molecular weight | 1007.2 g/mol |
| Sequence | Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 (disulfide 1-6) |
| PubChem CID | 439302 |
| Purity | 99%+ by HPLC |
| Physical form | Lyophilised powder |
| Available strengths | 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg |
| Box quantity | 10 vials |
| Price from | $6.73 per vial ($67.28 per box) |
| Research status | Oxytocin is one of the best-characterised peptides in this catalogue at the level of basic physiology and one of the most contested at the level of behaviour. Its peripheral actions on smooth muscle are established and underpin a licensed clinical use. Its role in social cognition has generated an enormous literature and a substantial replication problem. |
| Documentation | Batch-specific COA (Janoshik or Freedom Diagnostic) |
These are catalogue target specifications, not batch results. The 99%+ purity figure is the specification we buy to. The authoritative figures for any particular box are the ones printed on that box’s Certificate of Analysis, which is lot-specific.
We make no “third-party verified” claim for a batch unless the matching report is supplied with it. Ask for the current COA for the lot in stock before you order — we will send it.
Pricing
How much does Oxytocin cost?
Oxytocin starts at $6.73 per vial (£5.32), sold in boxes of 10 at $67.28. One box is the smallest order and there is no trade account or minimum spend. Larger volumes are negotiable.
| Strength | Per vial | Box of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mg | $6.73 £5.32 | $67.28 £53.15 |
| 5 mg | $7.47 £5.90 | $74.71 £59.02 |
| 10 mg | $8.59 £6.79 | $85.85 £67.82 |
Handling
How should Oxytocin be stored and reconstituted?
Sealed vials tolerate ambient temperature in transit and keep at −20 °C beyond that. Reconstitute slowly down the vial wall, swirl rather than shake, then refrigerate at 2–8 °C and aliquot before freezing.
Why each of those matters, and what a freeze–thaw cycle actually costs: peptide handling and storage reference.
Research Context
What is Oxytocin researched for?
Below is a plain-English summary of what published research has investigated, and what it has found. These are descriptions of research activity and published results. They are not claims about what Oxytocin does, and nothing here is a statement that it is safe or effective for any purpose.
Established physiology, contested behaviour
Oxytocin acts at a single G-protein-coupled receptor with well-documented effects on uterine smooth muscle and milk ejection. The behavioural literature - trust, affiliation, social salience - is far larger and far less settled, with reviews noting that early effects often shrink or disappear in better-powered replications. 1
The delivery problem
Most human behavioural work uses intranasal administration. How much of an intranasally delivered nonapeptide crosses into the central nervous system, and at what concentration, remains disputed. That uncertainty sits underneath a large fraction of the published behavioural findings.
What is not established
Whether peripheral or central mechanisms account for the behavioural observations, and whether the effect sizes reported in early small studies are real.
References
- 1Is Oxytocin Nature's Medicine? Pharmacol Rev (2020). PMID 32912963
Links open the record on PubMed or PubMed Central. These are citations to published research, not claims about this product.
Applications
Where Oxytocin is used in the laboratory
- Oxytocin receptor pharmacology, including the cross-reactivity with vasopressin receptors that follows from the two-residue difference between the peptides
- Social behaviour and affiliation research, the area that has drawn the most attention and the most methodological criticism
- Smooth muscle and uterine contraction models, the classical physiological role
- Comparative neuropeptide work alongside vasopressin
Verification
Does Oxytocin come with a COA?
Yes — every box. Each batch of Oxytocin is analysed by Janoshik Analytical or Freedom Diagnostic, and the certificate is tied to the batch number on the vial label.
Example COA. You receive the certificate matching your own batch.
Questions
Oxytocin questions, answered
Why is so much of the oxytocin literature contested?
Mostly because of how it is given. Much human behavioural work uses intranasal administration, and how much peptide reaches the brain by that route is disputed. Early effects have often shrunk or vanished in better-powered replications. The peripheral physiology - uterine contraction, milk ejection - is not in question. It is the social and behavioural findings where the argument sits.
How much does Oxytocin cost?
Oxytocin starts at $6.73 per vial, sold in boxes of 10 vials at $67.28 per box (about £53.15). 3 strengths available: 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg. There is no minimum order.
How is Oxytocin shipped?
Tracked, in plain packaging, dispatched within 1–2 working days. Country-by-country estimates are on the shipping page.
Catalogue
