Why Cu²⁺ : Peptide Ratio Matters — A 90-Second Quality Check for Formulators. Read our briefing →
Why Cu²⁺ Ratio Matters — a field guide. Read →
On the Cu²⁺ ratio. Read →
The Mn(II) analogue of the GHK metal-tripeptide
Overview
Manganese Tripeptide-1 is the same Gly-His-Lys ligand that defines GHK-Cu, coordinated to a manganese center instead of a copper one — INCI Manganese Tripeptide-1, CAS 611182-15-1, C14H22MnN6O4, MW 393.31. It belongs in a copper-peptide atelier for a precise reason: it is the cleanest available isostructural probe of the GHK metallopeptide. The histidine imidazole and the deprotonated peptide-bond nitrogen that anchor Cu(II) in GHK-Cu present the same donor set to Mn(II), so a formulator or chemistry group holding both materials can study how the metal — not the peptide — drives colour, formation constant, and redox behaviour. Where GHK-Cu carries the d-d band near 622 nm that makes it blue, the Mn(II) complex is effectively colourless across the visible region, which is itself the diagnostic: there is no copper chromophore to read, so identity and metal loading are confirmed by assay rather than by eye. Cupratec supplies it strictly as a cosmetic active; efficacy and any cosmetic claim a finished product makes are the brand's responsibility under its destination-market rules. Cupratec releases Manganese Tripeptide-1 on the same bench discipline as the copper complex, adapted to the different metal. Each lot carries reversed-phase HPLC purity with diode-array detection, identity by mass against the C14H22MnN6O4 / MW 393.31 expected value, and a quantified Mn:peptide molar ratio (target 1:1, deviation reported) cross-checked by atomic absorption for total manganese on the peptide. Because the complex lacks a copper chromophore, the UV-Vis read is used to confirm the absence of a Cu(II) signature rather than to track a 622 nm band — a useful orthogonal check that the right metal is in the pocket. Fills are 50 mg and 100 mg lyophilized vials, with gram-scale lots on the same documentation pack for contract-monograph development. Note that published cosmetic use levels for this active sit very low — single-digit ppm in finished formulations — so the documentation is built for formulators dosing trace quantities against a tight internal spec. The lot-release rationale that governs the copper complex carries over directly; see our Cu²⁺ : peptide ratio field note.
Who buys this, and why
Cosmetic-peptide buyers fall into two groups: established beauty / med-aesthetic brands extending an existing line, and private-label clients building a catalog from scratch. The first group usually wants lyophilized peptide material plus stability data in their existing carrier matrix; the second usually wants a finished formulation under their label. Both need INCI naming verified, regulator-specific safety files (CPNP for EU, FDA OTC monograph for US where relevant), and packaging-compatibility data.
Primary buyer fit: medical aesthetic clinics and med spas, regional distributors and re-sellers, and academic and contract research laboratories.
Specifications
Documentation available on request
Regulatory note
Manganese Tripeptide-1 is supplied as a cosmetic-grade INCI ingredient (Manganese Tripeptide-1), the manganese analogue of the GHK metal-tripeptide, not for compounded human-use preparations. Published cosmetic use levels are very low (single-digit ppm). Cosmetic-grade material available for beauty private-label brands and finished-product formulators worldwide; INCI name supplied on SDS for cosmetic-notification workflows (CPNP in EU, equivalent registries elsewhere). Finished-product cosmetic claims are the brand's to substantiate under its destination-market rules.
Frequently asked questions
Because it is the same metal-tripeptide architecture with the metal swapped, and that makes it the most useful comparator a copper-chemistry group can hold. Manganese Tripeptide-1 wraps the identical Gly-His-Lys ligand — histidine imidazole plus a deprotonated peptide-bond nitrogen — around Mn(II) rather than Cu(II). Studying the two side by side isolates the variable that matters in coordination work: what the metal centre itself contributes to colour, formation constant, and oxidation behaviour, with the peptide held constant. It is squarely within Cupratec's metal-coordination remit rather than a generic cosmetic peptide; the through-line is the GHK metallopeptide motif, not the marketing category.
The absence of colour is the first signal. GHK-Cu is blue because of the d-d band near 622 nm; the Mn(II) complex shows no such visible chromophore, so a strong blue would itself flag copper contamination. Beyond that visual screen, each lot is confirmed by assay rather than by eye: atomic absorption quantifies total manganese on the peptide for the Mn:peptide molar ratio (target 1:1, deviation reported), reversed-phase HPLC with diode-array detection verifies a single coordinated peak rather than free peptide plus separate manganese salt, and identity is confirmed by mass against C14H22MnN6O4 / MW 393.31. The UV-Vis read is used here to confirm the absence of a Cu(II) signature — an orthogonal check that the intended metal, and only the intended metal, occupies the pocket.
Published cosmetic use levels for Manganese Tripeptide-1 are very low — single-digit ppm on a finished-mass basis — so the practical task is accurate trace dosing against a tight internal spec rather than working at the higher loadings typical of GHK-Cu skin work; the exact figure is a formulation choice for the brand, not a claim Cupratec makes. The coordination guardrails mirror the copper actives: keep strong chelators (EDTA, DTPA) out so they cannot strip the metal, hold a near-neutral working pH through shelf life, and run the active on clean process water. Because the complex carries no visible chromophore, a formulator confirming the metallopeptide has held through a carrier should plan on metal-content and HPLC readouts rather than a colour check. The underlying lot-release logic is the same one set out in our Cu²⁺ : peptide ratio field note.
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