NMN, an abbreviation for "Nicotinamide Mononucleotide," is a crucial precursor to NAD+. NAD+ stands for "Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide," a cofactor central to metabolism present in all living cells. It is a dinucleotide, consisting of two nucleotides connected by their phosphate groups, with one nucleotide holding an adenine nucleobase and the other nicotinamide.
In metabolic reactions, NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) plays a role in redox reactions, transferring electrons between reactions. It exists in two forms within cells: as NAD+ (an oxidizing agent), it accepts electrons from other molecules and becomes reduced, forming NAD which can donate electrons as a reducing agent. NAD+ is also involved in other cellular processes, most notably as a substrate for enzymes that modify proteins through the addition or removal of chemical groups (posttranslational modifications). Given the crucial nature of these functions, enzymes involved in NAD metabolism have become targets for drug development.
NAD+ is composed of two nucleosides connected by a pair of bridging phosphate groups. Each nucleoside contains a ribose ring, with adenine attached to the first carbon atom (1' position) in one nucleoside and nicotinamide in the other. The nicotinamide group can bond to this anomeric carbon atom in two ways, leading to the existence of two diastereomers. The β-nicotinamide diastereomer is the one found in living organisms. The nucleotides are linked by a bridge of two phosphate groups through their 5' carbons.
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NAD+ was initially discovered by British biochemists Arthur Harden and William John Young in 1906. Later, after a challenging purification process from yeast extracts, the heat-stable factor was identified as a nucleotide sugar phosphate by Hans von Euler-Chelpin.
Arthur Harden and Hans von Euler-Chelpin were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929. In his acceptance speech, von Euler-Chelpin referred to NAD+ as "the biologically most important activators."
In 1959, Arthur Kornberg, the winner of the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the process for forming DNA and RNA, identified NAD synthetase, the enzyme responsible for synthesizing NAD+. This research marked the start of comprehending the components that make up NAD+.
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NAD+ is the key activator for sirtuins. Sirtuins is known as "the guardians of DNA", and it can extend the life of body cells by protecting the DNA but only when activated by NAD+.
In 2009, three scientists from the United States won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of the DNA code that regulates aging in cells.
NAD+ has been a crucial component in Biology for over a hundred years, but its practical use has only recently become possible due to the gradual pace of scientific research and technological advancements over the past century.
Consuming NMN orally is a simple, safe, and highly effective way to utilize NAD+. Currently, hundreds of thousands of people are benefitting from the Healthier-N-Better NMN. With scientists realizing the vast potential of NAD+, they are actively pursuing ways to fully harness it. This research is one of the most exciting aspects in current science, and all indications point to NAD+ bringing a brighter future for humanity.
