A compound having a plurality of alpha helical cyclic pentapeptide sequences, which is represented by formula: wherein the Xaa are L-alpha amino acid residues 2 or 3 of which are favorable to alpha helix formation, which are selected from alanine, arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, glutamine, cysteine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine and aspartic acid; or wherein the Xaa are D-alpha amino acid residues 2 or 3 of which are favorable to alpha helix formation, which are selected from alanine, arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, glutamine, cysteine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine and aspartic acid; wherein respective alpha helical cyclic pentapeptide sequences have at least three (1,5) intramolecular hydrogen bonds; R 1 is selected from H, an N-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acid residues optionally capped by an N-terminal capping group, a non-peptidic group or a group that mimics an amino acid side chain; R 2 is selected from H, a C-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acids optionally capped by a C-terminal capping group, a group that mimics an amino acid side chain or a group that activates the terminal carboxylic acid carbonyl group to nucleophilic substitution selected from an acid chloride, an acid anhydride, an acyl azide, an O-acylisourea, a phosphonium derivative or an activated ester; each R' and R" are independently selected from H, C 1 -C 10 alhyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cylcoalkyl, C 5 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, -OH, -OC 1 -C 10 alkyl, -NH 2, - NH(C 1 -C 10 alkyl), -N(C 1 -C 10 alkyl) 2, C 6 -C 10 aryl, C 3 -C 10 heterocyclyl, C 1 -C 10 heteroaryl and halo; L is selected from -NH-C -, -C -NH-, -S-S-, -CH CH 2 -, CH 2 CH -,-CH=CH-, -CH 2 -CH 2 -, -NH-CH 2 - -CH 2 -NH-, -CH 2 -S-, -S-CH 2 -, -C -CH 2 -, -CH 2 -C -, -S t -NH-, -NH-S t -, CH 2 -P(=O) - and -P(=O) -CH 2 -; m is 4, n is 1, t is 0, 1 or 2, and p is 2. wherein the Xaa are L-alpha amino acid residues 2 or 3 of which are favorable to alpha helix formation, which are selected from alanine, arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, glutamine, cysteine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine and aspartic acid; or wherein the Xaa are D-alpha amino acid residues 2 or 3 of which are favorable to alpha helix formation, which are selected from alanine, arginine, lysine, methionine, leucine, glutamic acid, glutamine, cysteine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, histidine and aspartic acid; wherein respective alpha helical cyclic pentapeptide sequences have at least three (1,5) intramolecular hydrogen bonds; R 1 is selected from H, an N-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acid residues optionally capped by an N-terminal capping group, a non-peptidic group or a group that mimics an amino acid side chain; R 2 is selected from H, a C-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acids optionally capped by a C-terminal capping group, a group that mimics an amino acid side chain or a group that activates the terminal carboxylic acid carbonyl group to nucleophilic substitution selected from an acid chloride, an acid anhydride, an acyl azide, an O-acylisourea, a phosphonium derivative or an activated ester; each R' and R" are independently selected from H, C 1 -C 10 alhyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cylcoalkyl, C 5 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, -OH, -OC 1 -C 10 alkyl, -NH 2, - NH(C 1 -C 10 alkyl), -N(C 1 -C 10 alkyl) 2, C 6 -C 10 aryl, C 3 -C 10 heterocyclyl, C 1 -C 10 heteroaryl and halo; L is selected from -NH-C -, -C -NH-, -S-S-, -CH CH 2 -, CH 2 CH -,-CH=CH-, -CH 2 -CH 2 -, -NH-CH 2 - -CH 2 -NH-, -CH 2 -S-, -S-CH 2 -, -C -CH 2 -, -CH 2 -C -, -S t -NH-, -NH-S t -, CH 2 -P(=O) - and -P(=O) -CH 2 -; m is 4, n is 1, t is 0, 1 or 2, and p is 2. R 1 is selected from H, an N-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acid residues optionally capped by an N-terminal capping group, a non-peptidic group or a group that mimics an amino acid side chain; R 2 is selected from H, a C-terminal capping group, a peptide of 1 to 5 amino acids optionally capped by a C-terminal capping group, a group that mimics an amino acid side chain or a group that activates the terminal carboxylic acid carbonyl group to nucleophilic substitution selected from an acid chloride, an acid anhydride, an acyl azide, an O-acylisourea, a phosphonium derivative or an activated ester; each R' and R" are independently selected from H, C 1 -C 10 alhyl, C 2 -C 10 alkenyl, C 2 -C 10 alkynyl, C 3 -C 10 cylcoalkyl, C 5 -C 10 cycloalkenyl, -OH, -OC 1 -C 10 alkyl, -NH 2, - NH(C 1 -C 10 alkyl), -N(C 1 -C 10 alkyl) 2, C 6 -C 10 aryl, C 3 -C 10 heterocyclyl, C 1 -C 10 heteroaryl and halo; L is selected from -NH-C -, -C -NH-, -S-S-, -CH CH 2 -, CH 2 CH -,-CH=CH-, -CH 2 -CH 2 -, -NH-CH 2 - -CH 2 -NH-, -CH 2 -S-, -S-CH 2 -, -C -CH 2 -, -CH 2 -C -, -S t -NH-, -NH-S t -, CH 2 -P(=O) - and -P(=O) -CH 2 -; m is 4, n is 1, t is 0, 1 or 2, and p is 2.