Formula C11H15N2O5+ | Molar mass 255.2472 g/mol | |
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Nicotinamide riboside harmful to power output
Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a pyridine-nucleoside form of vitamin B3 that functions as a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide or NAD+. According to the peer-reviewed literature, NR was discovered as a human vitamin precursor of NAD+ in 2004 and as a sirtuin-activating compound in 2007 by Charles Brenner.
Contents
Toxicity
In 2016 the FDA granted generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for NR as a food ingredient in enhanced water products, protein shakes, nutrition bars, gum and chews at no more than 0.027% of NR by weight. The NOAEL and LOAEL in rodents are 300 and 1000 mg/kg/day respectively.
Chemistry
While the molecular weight of nicotinamide riboside is 255.25 g/mol, that of its chloride salt is 290.70 g/mol. As such, 100 mg of nicotinamide riboside chloride provides 88 mg of nicotinamide riboside.
History
NR was first described in 1944 as a growth factor, termed Factor V, for Haemophilus influenza, a bacterium that lives in and depends on blood. Factor V, purified from blood was shown to exist in three forms: NAD+, NMN and NR. NR was the compound that led to the most rapid growth of this bacterium. Notably, H. influenza cannot grow on nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, tryptophan or aspartic acid, which were the previously known precursors of NAD+.
In 2000, yeast Sir2 was shown to be an NAD+-dependent protein lysine deacetylase, which led several groups to probe yeast NAD+ metabolism for genes and enzymes that might regulate lifespan. Biosynthesis of NAD+ in yeast was thought to flow exclusively through NAMN (nicotinic acid mononucleotide).
Surprisingly, when NAD+ synthase (glutamine-hydrolysing) was deleted from yeast cells, NR permitted yeast cells to grow. Thus, these Dartmouth College investigators proceeded to clone yeast and human nicotinamide riboside kinases and demonstrate the conversion of NR to NMN by nicotinamide riboside kinases in vitro and in vivo. They also demonstrated that NR is a natural product, the so-called hidden vitamin found in cow's milk.
ChromaDex acquired intellectual property on uses and synthesis of NR from Dartmouth College, Cornell University, and Washington University and began distributing NR as Niagen in 2013. In 2015, ChromaDex received New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) status for Niagen from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Research
Nicotinamide riboside has been studied in models of hypercholesterolemia and neurodegenerative processes.