Ghrelin

Overview

Ghrelin is a 28-membered appetite-stimulating polypeptide consisting of Gly, Ser, Ser(octanoyl), Phe, Leu, Ser, Pro, Glu, His, Gln, Arg, Val, Gln, Gln, Arg, Lys, Glu, Ser, Lys, Lys, Pro, Pro, Ala, Lys, Leu, Gln, Pro and Arg residues joined in sequence. The O-n-octanoylation of the side-chain hydroxy group of serine-3 (Ser3) is essential for ghrelin's activity. It has a role as an antineoplastic agent, an appetite enhancer, an antiatherogenic agent, an apoptosis inducer and a human metabolite. It is a polypeptide and a peptide hormone.

Source: ChEBI (CC BY 4.0), via PubChem.

PubChem record

CID 16133832 · Ghrelin

Molecular formula · weight

C149H249N47O42 · 3370.9 g/mol

PubMed papers naming it (title/abstract)

13,133 search: “Ghrelin”

Registered clinical studies (ClinicalTrials.gov)

254 intervention: “Ghrelin”

Reference facts checked 2026-11-09. Counts are search results, not a judgement of the evidence.