Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM)
OtherPreclinicalAlso known as: Indolepropionamide, Indole-3-propionamide, 3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanamide, NSC523262
IPAM is the market abbreviation for indole-3-propionamide, the amide of indole-3-propionic acid and a close structural relative of melatonin. It is a defined and identifiable molecule, PubChem CID 351791, CAS 5814-93-7, but the literature behind it is unusually thin: essentially one substantive biological paper, published in 2010 (PMID: 20421998). That paper is worth describing carefully, because almost everything claimed for the compound traces back to it.
Overview
At A Glance
Indole-3-propionamide is the amide of indole-3-propionic acid, a tryptophan-derived indole. The amide is less polar than the parent acid, which the authors of the only substantive study used to explain its ability to cross membranes and reach brain tissue after peripheral adminis…
Overview
IPAM is the market abbreviation for indole-3-propionamide, the amide of indole-3-propionic acid and a close structural relative of melatonin. It is a defined and identifiable molecule, PubChem CID 351791, CAS 5814-93-7, but the literature behind it is unusually thin: essentially one substantive biological paper, published in 2010 (PMID: 20421998). That paper is worth describing carefully, because almost everything claimed for the compound traces back to it. The authors designed the amide from indole-3-propionic acid to obtain a less polar molecule that crosses membranes more easily, then discovered that it also occurs naturally. After an oral tryptophan load of 300 mg/kg in one-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, brain levels of indole-3-propionamide, melatonin and indole-3-propionic acid all rose to reproducibly measurable amounts. When 0.5 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally, indole-3-propionamide reached high brain concentrations at 2, 4 and 8 h while melatonin and indole-3-propionic acid at the same dose did not raise their own barely detectable baselines (PMID: 20421998). The proposed mechanism is mitochondrial rather than receptor-mediated. The compound appears to act at complex I of the respiratory chain as a recyclable electron and proton carrier, stabilizing electron flow and reducing electron leakage, so that fewer reactive oxygen species are produced in the first place rather than scavenged afterwards. In brain mitochondria from young and 20-month-old rats it antagonized the age-related fall in membrane potential and blocked the collapse of proton potential caused by doxorubicin, antimycin A and the uncoupler FCCP. In mouse brain mitochondria at 10 nM it increased complex I and complex IV activity. In a hydroxyl radical generating system it reduced radical formation without producing pro-oxidant intermediates, and it reduced hydroxyl radical mediated DNA damage in rat forebrain homogenate with an IC50 of 0.18 micromolar against 1.4 micromolar for melatonin (PMID: 20421998). The headline result in that paper is a lifespan experiment in the bdelloid rotifer Philodina acuticornis odiosa, where mean lifespan rose from 24.6 days to 90.5 days at the highest concentration tested, with larger body size and more offspring per animal. A rotifer is a very long way from a person, and no vertebrate lifespan or healthspan study has followed. Two cautions belong on this page. First, no toxicology study, no pharmacokinetic study beyond those brain concentration measurements in rats, and no human exposure of any kind has been published for this compound. Second, recent medicinal chemistry papers describing 1H-indole-3-propionamide compounds as selective NaV1.7 inhibitors for pain concern a series of substituted derivatives rather than indole-3-propionamide itself, and should not be read as evidence about this molecule (PMID: 39881860, PMID: 42503835). Indole-3-propionamide has no FDA or EMA record, no clinical development program and no registered trial, and material sold as IPAM is a research-use-only compound in the US market.
Potential Research Fields
Chemical Information
IUPAC Name
Not yet available
CAS Number
5814-93-7
Molecular Formula
C11H12N2O
Molecular Mass
188.23 g/mol
Dosing & Protocols
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Interactions
Contraindications
None established, because no study has looked. Mechanism-based: the compound acts at mitochondrial complex I (PMID: 20421998), so anyone taking drugs that act on the respiratory chain, and anyone with a mitochondrial disorder, would be an untested case. Nothing is known about pregnancy, hepatic or renal handling, or long-term exposure.
Research Disclaimer
This interaction data is compiled from published research and community reports. It may not be exhaustive. Always consult a healthcare professional before combining compounds.
$64.99
$6.4990
1
1
liquid
| Vendor | Product | Form | Qty | Price | $/mg | Coupon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
IPAM (Indole-3-propionamide) 10 mg | liquid | 1 bottle (10 mg)● In Stock | $64.99BEST | $6.499 | — |
Tracking since Sep 7, 2026 · 1 data point
Vendors Selling Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM)
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Every supplier above is graded 0–100 on COA verification, payment transparency, shipping, reviews, and active listings. Methodology published, no pay-to-rank.
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Melanotan I
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Protocols, calculator & safety for Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM)
Research Score
0 PubMed studies
Quality Indicators
Data Completeness
63%Quick Facts
Half-Life
Not established in humans; after intraperitoneal administration of 0.5 mg/kg to one-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, brain concentrations were 691 pg indole per mg protein at 2 h, 562 at 4 h and 361 at 8 h, which the authors described as a long half-life relative to melatonin (PMID: 20421998)
Molecular Weight
188.23 g/mol
Administration
Intraperitoneal injection (rodent studies), Oral (form sold on the research chemical market)
CAS Number
5814-93-7
Trial Phase
Preclinical
Research Disclaimer
This information is for educational and research purposes only. Not intended as medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM) used for in research?
IPAM is the market abbreviation for indole-3-propionamide, the amide of indole-3-propionic acid and a close structural relative of melatonin. It is a defined and identifiable molecule, PubChem CID 351791, CAS 5814-93-7, but the literature behind it is unusually thin: essentially one substantive biological paper, published in 2010 (PMID: 20421998).
That paper is worth describing carefully, because almost everything claimed for the compound traces back to it. The authors designed the amide from indole-3-propionic acid to obtain a less polar molecule that crosses membranes more easily, then discovered that it also occurs naturally. After an oral tryptophan load of 300 mg/kg in one-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, brain levels of indole-3-propionamide, melatonin and indole-3-propionic acid all rose to reproducibly measurable amounts. When 0.5 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally, indole-3-propionamide reached high brain concentrations at 2, 4 and 8 h while melatonin and indole-3-propionic acid at the same dose did not raise their own barely detectable baselines (PMID: 20421998).
The proposed mechanism is mitochondrial rather than receptor-mediated. The compound appears to act at complex I of the respiratory chain as a recyclable electron and proton carrier, stabilizing electron flow and reducing electron leakage, so that fewer reactive oxygen species are produced in the first place rather than scavenged afterwards. In brain mitochondria from young and 20-month-old rats it antagonized the age-related fall in membrane potential and blocked the collapse of proton potential caused by doxorubicin, antimycin A and the uncoupler FCCP. In mouse brain mitochondria at 10 nM it increased complex I and complex IV activity. In a hydroxyl radical generating system it reduced radical formation without producing pro-oxidant intermediates, and it reduced hydroxyl radical mediated DNA damage in rat forebrain homogenate with an IC50 of 0.18 micromolar against 1.4 micromolar for melatonin (PMID: 20421998).
The headline result in that paper is a lifespan experiment in the bdelloid rotifer Philodina acuticornis odiosa, where mean lifespan rose from 24.6 days to 90.5 days at the highest concentration tested, with larger body size and more offspring per animal. A rotifer is a very long way from a person, and no vertebrate lifespan or healthspan study has followed.
Two cautions belong on this page. First, no toxicology study, no pharmacokinetic study beyond those brain concentration measurements in rats, and no human exposure of any kind has been published for this compound. Second, recent medicinal chemistry papers describing 1H-indole-3-propionamide compounds as selective NaV1.7 inhibitors for pain concern a series of substituted derivatives rather than indole-3-propionamide itself, and should not be read as evidence about this molecule (PMID: 39881860, PMID: 42503835). Indole-3-propionamide has no FDA or EMA record, no clinical development program and no registered trial, and material sold as IPAM is a research-use-only compound in the US market.
What forms does Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM) come in?
Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM) is available in liquid form.
How much does Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM) cost?
Prices start at $64.99 across 1 verified vendor.
How do I compare Indole-3-propionamide (IPAM) vendors?
Compare prices, payment methods, shipping, and COA scores across 1 vendor.
Research Tools
Related Compounds
View AllAminotadalafil
OtherPreclinicalAminotadalafil is an unapproved research analog of tadalafil, the PDE5 inhibitor marketed under the brand name Cialis for erectile dysfunction and under Adcirca for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
B7-33
OtherPreclinicalB7-33 is a single-chain, 26-amino-acid peptide engineered as a functionally selective agonist of the relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1), designed to recapitulate the therapeutic activity of human H2 relaxin — the endogenous peptide hormone that is naturally elevated during pregnancy and has broad cardioprotective, vasodilatory, and anti-fibrotic effects.
Diisopropylamine dichloroacetate (DADA)
OtherApproved (Japan)DADA is the abbreviation the research chemical market uses for diisopropylamine dichloroacetate, the diisopropylamine salt of dichloroacetic acid, CAS 660-27-5.
Kisspeptin-10 (KSPTN)
OtherClinical (investigational)KSPTN is the vendor shorthand for kisspeptin, a naturally occurring peptide encoded by the KISS1 gene and the master upstream regulator of the reproductive (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal) hormone axis.
Melanotan I
OtherFDA ApprovedMelanotan I (afamelanotide) is a linear synthetic analog of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) with the substitution of norleucine at position 4 and D-phenylalanine at position 7.
PNC-27
OtherPreclinicalPNC-27 is a p53-derived peptide that selectively induces membranolysis in cancer cells.
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