DOCUMENTED BY BATCHIdentity and classification
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a dinucleotide coenzyme, not a peptide. Structurally it consists of two nucleotides joined through their phosphate groups: one bears an adenine base and the other a nicotinamide base, each attached to a ribose sugar, with the two riboses bridged by a pyrophosphate linkage. Because it is built from nucleotide units rather than amino-acid residues, NAD+ has no amino-acid sequence, and identity work relies on nucleotide and small-molecule analytical methods rather than peptide mapping.
The catalogue entry for NAD+ is supplied strictly as a laboratory reference material. The name “NAD+” denotes the oxidised form of the coenzyme; the corresponding reduced form is written NADH, and the phosphorylated relative is NADP+.
Chemical and physical properties
The following values are drawn from the PubChem public compound record and are used as reference points when confirming the identity of a supplied lot:
- Compound name: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (β-NAD+, free acid)
- CAS number: 53-84-9
- Molecular formula: C21H27N7O14P2
- Molecular weight: approximately 663.43 g/mol (monoisotopic mass near 663.11)
- PubChem CID: 15938971
- Appearance: hygroscopic white to off-white powder
Because the material is hygroscopic, laboratory handling and storage conditions are recorded so that mass measurements can be interpreted against absorbed water content. Repeated freezing and thawing of a prepared solution is generally minimised in a research setting to limit variability between measurements.
Analytical identity and purity methodology
NAD+ is well suited to spectroscopic and chromatographic characterisation. The nicotinamide and adenine ring systems both absorb in the ultraviolet region, giving a characteristic absorbance maximum near 260 nm that serves as a first-pass identity check by UV spectrophotometry. This UV signature also allows the compound to be tracked by a photodiode-array detector during separation.
For a rigorous identity determination, mass spectrometry is the primary tool. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) separates the compound from related nucleotides and impurities and then measures the mass-to-charge ratio of the intact molecule and its fragments. High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) refines this further by measuring the accurate mass to enough decimal places to confirm the molecular formula C21H27N7O14P2 rather than an isobaric alternative.
Purity is typically expressed as an area-percent figure from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. In this approach the total detector response is integrated and the main peak is compared against any minor peaks; adequate separation performance between the target peak and neighbouring nucleotide impurities (such as NADH or nicotinamide mononucleotide) is what makes the number meaningful. The combination of LC-MS/HRMS for identity and HPLC-UV for purity is the standard evidence set that a research buyer looks for.
How to read a Certificate of Analysis
A Certificate of Analysis (COA) for a reference compound records what was tested, how, and with what result. For NAD+ the sections worth checking are the stated compound name and CAS number, the batch or lot identifier, the analytical methods listed, and the reported purity value with its detection method. A well-documented COA names the instrument technique behind each figure, so an identity line referencing LC-MS or HRMS and a purity line referencing HPLC-UV together give a traceable picture of the lot.
Livvmore documents identity and purity per batch through the NAD+ record, with testing carried out at the University of Southern California Alfred E. Mann Multi-Omics Mass Spectrometry Core, a university laboratory, using LC-MS and HRMS methods. The batch documents can be reviewed through the COA library, and the overall approach to quality testing is described separately for laboratories that want the methodology before matching a certificate to a specific lot.
Research context and literature background
NAD+ is one of the most extensively catalogued coenzymes in biochemistry and appears throughout the public literature indexed by PubChem and PubMed Central as a redox cofactor in central metabolism. In its published background, the oxidised NAD+ form accepts a hydride during enzyme-catalysed reactions to become NADH, and this NAD+/NADH couple is a recurring subject of study in cellular energy research. This information is provided only as literature background for the identity of the reference compound and is cited to public chemistry databases; it is not a description of any property of the supplied material beyond its chemical identity.
For laboratory research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
Frequently asked questions
What is the molecular formula and molecular weight of NAD+?
NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) has the molecular formula C21H27N7O14P2 and a molecular weight of approximately 663.43 g/mol. Its CAS number is 53-84-9 and its PubChem CID is 15938971.
Is NAD+ a peptide?
No. NAD+ is a dinucleotide coenzyme composed of an adenine nucleotide and a nicotinamide nucleotide bridged by a pyrophosphate group. It contains no amino-acid residues and therefore has no amino-acid sequence, so it is characterised by nucleotide and small-molecule analytical methods rather than peptide mapping.
What does NAD+ look like as a reference material?
As a reference compound, NAD+ (free acid) is described in public records as a hygroscopic white to off-white powder. Because it readily absorbs moisture, storage and handling conditions are documented so that mass measurements can be interpreted correctly.
How is the identity and purity of NAD+ confirmed?
Identity is confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), supported by a characteristic ultraviolet absorbance near 260 nm. Purity is reported as an area-percent value from HPLC with UV detection, which resolves NAD+ from related nucleotide impurities.
What is NAD+ used for in a research setting?
NAD+ is supplied strictly as a laboratory reference material. It is used only for laboratory research, such as analytical method development and identity or purity comparison work. It is not for human or veterinary use.