NAD+ 1000mg

What NAD+ is

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form) is a dinucleotide, not a peptide. It contains no amino acids at all. Two nucleotides make up the molecule: nicotinamide mononucleotide and adenosine monophosphate, linked through their phosphate groups by a pyrophosphate (phosphoanhydride) bridge. Each half has a ribose sugar, one bearing a nicotinamide ring and the other an adenine base.

The “+” in the name refers to the positively charged pyridinium nitrogen in the nicotinamide ring of the oxidized form, not to the overall charge of the molecule, since the two phosphate groups carry negative charge at neutral pH. Its reduced counterpart, NADH, carries two extra electrons and a hydrogen on that ring, and the phosphorylated relative NADP+ carries an additional phosphate on the adenosine ribose. It is listed in our catalog alongside peptides, but its chemistry and analysis are those of a nucleotide.

NAD+ 1000mg specification

How NAD+ is analyzed

The adenine base gives NAD+ a strong absorbance maximum at about 260 nm, which is the natural detection wavelength for chromatography. The oxidized form has no significant absorbance at 340 nm, whereas NADH absorbs strongly there, so a 340 nm reading is a quick check for reduced contaminant. Being highly polar and negatively charged, NAD+ barely retains on plain C18 media; reverse-phase methods usually add an ion-pairing reagent or a phosphate buffer, and HILIC is a common alternative. In mass spectrometry the monoisotopic mass is about 663.11, seen as an ion near m/z 662.1 in negative mode or 664.1 in positive mode.

Characteristic impurities are hydrolysis products: cleavage at the nicotinamide–ribose bond gives free nicotinamide and ADP-ribose, a reaction that is faster in alkaline solution, while pyrophosphate cleavage yields the two mononucleotides. The α-anomer of NAD+ and traces of NADH can also appear. HPLC testing of NAD+ is done independently and its purity is published on this product page; vials are not coded with a lot or batch number, and each vial is paired with its NAD+ test by crimp and cap color.

Research contexts for NAD+

• Dehydrogenase enzyme kinetics in cell-free assays followed at 340 nm
• Substrate for ADP-ribosyltransferase and other NAD+-consuming enzyme assays in vitro
• Calibration standard for nucleotide HPLC, HILIC and LC-MS methods
• Hydrolytic stability studies of dinucleotides across pH and temperature

This NAD+ is a dinucleotide reagent for cell-free and analytical chemistry, not for use in humans or animals.

NAD+ questions

Is NAD+ a peptide?

No. It is a dinucleotide built from two nucleotides joined by a pyrophosphate group, with no amino acids or peptide bonds.

Why is the NAD+ chromatogram read at 260 nm rather than 214 nm?

The adenine ring absorbs strongly near 260 nm, giving a more selective signal than the low-UV region used for peptide bonds.

Why is the “+” part of the name?

It marks the oxidized, positively charged nicotinamide ring and distinguishes NAD+ from its reduced form, NADH.