What is NAD+?
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidised form) is a central redox coenzyme present in every living cell. It is not a peptide — it is a small-molecule dinucleotide that serves as the electron-accepting substrate for hundreds of metabolic and signalling enzymes including sirtuins, PARPs, and CD38.
What the research literature says
NAD+ is composed of two nucleotides — nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) — joined through a phosphodiester linkage. The coenzyme exists in two interconverting redox forms: NAD+ (oxidised, electron-accepting) and NADH (reduced, electron-donating). The NAD+/NADH ratio is the central redox couple driving electron flow through glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the mitochondrial electron transport chain.
Beyond redox metabolism, NAD+ is consumed by three families of NAD+-dependent signalling enzymes: sirtuins (deacetylases involved in metabolic regulation and aging biology), PARPs (poly-ADP-ribose polymerases involved in DNA damage response), and CD38/CD157 cyclic ADP-ribose synthetases. Each cleaves NAD+ to produce nicotinamide and an ADP-ribosyl product, meaning cellular NAD+ pools are continuously consumed and must be regenerated by salvage and biosynthesis pathways.
The Cantó nicotinamide riboside characterisation established the metabolic-effect framework for NAD+ precursor supplementation (PMID 22682224). The Yoshino review consolidates the biology and therapeutic-potential framework for NAD+ intermediates NMN and NR (PMID 29249689). Research-supply NAD+ is typically used in metabolic-research contexts where the direct cofactor is required.
Why this matters in research context
NAD+ stands apart from the peptide-research compounds in the catalog because it is a small-molecule coenzyme rather than a peptide. The research-supply form is used in metabolic-research contexts (in-vitro enzyme assays, cell-culture supplementation, NAD+ pharmacology research) rather than in the protein-and-peptide research contexts that dominate the rest of the catalog. NAD+ precursor research (NR, NMN) typically uses the precursor rather than NAD+ directly because the precursor crosses cell membranes more efficiently.
Related compounds
- NAD+ 500mg — the compound covered by this answer
- 5-Amino-1MQ 10mg — NNMT inhibitor affecting the NAD+ salvage pathway
Related research questions
References
- Cantó C et al. The NAD(+) precursor nicotinamide riboside enhances oxidative metabolism and protects against high-fat diet-induced obesity. Cell Metab 2012;15(6):838-847. [PMID 22682224]
- Yoshino J et al. NAD(+) Intermediates: The Biology and Therapeutic Potential of NMN and NR. Cell Metab 2018;27(3):513-528. [PMID 29249689]
Research-questions pages describe research-context use of peptide-research terminology. They do not constitute medical, veterinary, or clinical advice. NAD+ is sold strictly as a research-grade reagent for laboratory and bench research applications.