This page compares what is documented about AICAR and MOTS-c (Human), rather than ranking them by effect. What each molecule is, the sizes and prices actually carried, what the certificate covers, and how the two differ on the bench. Everything here is research-use-only material and we do not publish outcome, dosing or administration content for any compound in the catalogue.
What is AICAR and what is MOTS-c (Human)?
AICAR. AICAR is a nucleoside analogue, not a peptide at all, and it has one of the longer records of use as a metabolic pathway tool compound.
MOTS-c (Human). MOTS-c is encoded inside the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene — a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied in metabolic-signalling and exercise-biology models since 2015.
How do AICAR and MOTS-c (Human) compare on price and size?
| AICAR | MOTS-c (Human) | |
|---|---|---|
| Sizes carried | 50 mg | 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg |
| From | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Best price per unit | $1.20 / mg | $2.50 / mg |
| Availability | Backordered — waitlist | Backordered — waitlist |
| Certificate | Lot certificate on the product page | Lot certificate on the product page |
| Molecular formula | — | C101H152N28O22S2 |
| Molar mass | — | 2,174.6 g/mol |
| Source | — | PubChem CID 146675088 |
| Research area | AMPK pathway research | mitochondrial-signalling research |
At their best sizes AICAR works out at $1.20 per mg against $2.50 for MOTS-c (Human) — 2.1 times more for the mg. Vial prices start at $60.00 and $60.00 respectively, which is the number most people compare and the one that says least, because the two are not sold in the same sizes. Full sizes, tier pricing and the lot certificate sit on the AICAR page and the MOTS-c (Human) page.
What is each one studied for?
What the published literature investigates, which is a different question from what either will do, and the only one of the two a supplier can answer.
AICAR is studied in ampk pathway research. AMPK signalling is a durable area of metabolic research and this compound is one of its standard tools.
MOTS-c (Human) is studied in mitochondrial-signalling research. Mitochondrial-derived peptides are a young and fast-moving corner of metabolic research, with MOTS-c the most-studied of the family.
Studied in the same area does not make two compounds interchangeable, and the research library holds the per-compound documentation.
MOTS-c (Human) vs AICAR: how they differ on the bench
MOTS-c (Human). MOTS-c is a 16-residue peptide with a critical central motif; sequence-level identity confirmation matters more here than for longer, more forgiving chains.
AICAR. Small molecules and peptides share almost nothing in storage behaviour. Handling advice from a peptide guide is the wrong reference here.
What actually differs between MOTS-c (Human) and AICAR
Molar mass is not published for both of these, so the mass-to-amount conversion below is left undone rather than estimated. Where a formula and a molecular weight exist they are in the table above, carried with the PubChem record they came from; where they are not, the lot certificate is the document that settles what the material is.
Identity is the other analytical axis, and it is settled per lot rather than per compound. MOTS-c (Human). Catalogued as MOTS-c, and the certificate's identity test resolves to that.
Both are released against a certificate reporting identity, purity by the stated method and net peptide content, readable before anything is bought.
Which is better, MOTS-c (Human) or AICAR?
Neither MOTS-c (Human) nor AICAR is ranked against the other here, and the refusal is deliberate. Better, safer and stronger are questions about effects in a living system, and we sell neither compound for use in one — why none of these pages ranks two compounds sets out the reasoning in full.
What it does instead, for these two:
- AICAR is the cheaper of the two per mg, at $1.20 against $2.50.
- AICAR is carried in 1 size and MOTS-c (Human) in 3, and each lot carries its own certificate.
Every one of those is checkable before you buy.
Common questions
What is the difference between MOTS-c (Human) and AICAR?
MOTS-c is encoded inside the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene — a mitochondrial-derived peptide studied in metabolic-signalling and exercise-biology models since 2015. AICAR is a nucleoside analogue, not a peptide at all, and it has one of the longer records of use as a metabolic pathway tool compound.
Which one should I choose?
AICAR is carried in 50 mg and MOTS-c (Human) in 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, each lot with its own certificate. Which of those suits the work is yours to decide; everything here is research-use-only rather than guidance for use in a human or an animal.
Do both AICAR and MOTS-c (Human) come with a certificate of analysis?
Neither is in stock at the moment, so in each case the certificate is the one attached to the lot that arrives. A certificate belongs to a lot, not to a product. It is linked from the product page, and reports identity, purity by the stated method, and net peptide content for the material actually in that lot.
Which is cheaper, MOTS-c (Human) or AICAR?
Per mg, AICAR at $1.20 against $2.50, taking each one's best size. By vial they start at $60.00 for AICAR and $60.00 for MOTS-c (Human), which is the comparison most people make and the one that says least, because the two are not sold in the same sizes.
FOR LABORATORY AND IN-VITRO RESEARCH USE ONLY. NOT FOR HUMAN OR ANIMAL CONSUMPTION. NOT FOR PERSONAL, MEDICAL, DIAGNOSTIC, THERAPEUTIC, OR RECREATIONAL USE.