biology

Nicotinamide

Nicotinamide is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nicotinamide rather than just read about it. In short: Nicotinamide (INN, BAN UK) or niacinamide (USAN US) (IUPAC name: 3-pyridinecarboxoamide) is a form of vitamin B3 found in food and used as a dietary supplement and medication. As a supplement, it is used orally (swallowed by mouth) to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency).

Key takeaways

Nicotinamide belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nicotinamide to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nicotinamide from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nicotinamide (INN, BAN UK) or niacinamide (USAN US) (IUPAC name: 3-pyridinecarboxoamide) is a form of vitamin B3 found in food and used as a dietary supplement and medication. As a supplement, it is used orally (swallowed by mouth) to prevent and treat pellagra (niacin deficiency). While nicotinic acid (niacin) may be used for this purpose, nicotinamide has the benefit of not causing skin flushing. As a cream, it is used to treat acne, and has been observed in clinical studies to improve the appearance of aging skin by reducing hyperpigmentation and redness. It is a water-soluble vitamin. Clinical trials have shown promise in protecting eye health, particularly in the context of glaucoma. It is believed to support the health of retinal ganglion cells and may help protect against glaucoma-related damage. Nicotinamide has been studied for its potential neuroprotective effects. While some clinical trials have demonstrated improvements in visual fields and retinal function, it is not yet approved for the treatment of glaucoma. The use of nicotinamide should be approached with caution, especially at high doses, due to the risk of liver injury. Ongoing research continues to explore the full potential of nicotinamide in eye protection and its role in managing eye conditions. Side effects are minimal. At high doses, liver problems may occur. Normal amounts are safe for use during pregnancy. Nicotinamide is in the vitamin B family of medications, specifically the vitamin B3 complex. It is an amide of nicotinic acid. Foods that contain nicotinamide include yeast, meat, milk, and green vegetables. Nicotinamide was discovered between 1935 and 1937. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Nicotinamide is available as a generic medication and over the counter. Commercially, nicotinamide is made from either nicotinic acid (niacin) or nicotinonitrile. In some countries, grains have nicotinamide added to them. Extraterrestrial nicotinamide has been found in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites.

Medical uses

Niacin deficiency Nicotinamide is the preferred treatment for pellagra, caused by niacin deficiency.

Acne Nicotinamide cream is used as a treatment for acne. It has anti-inflammatory actions, which may benefit people with inflammatory skin conditions. Nicotinamide increases the biosynthesis of ceramides in human keratinocytes in vitro and improves the epidermal permeability barrier in vivo. The application of 2% topical nicotinamide for 2 and 4 weeks is effective in lowering the sebum excretion rate. Nicotinamide has been shown to prevent Cutibacterium acnes-induced activation of toll-like receptor 2, which ultimately results in the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory interleukin-8 production.

Skin cancer Nicotinamide at doses of 500 to 1000 mg a day decreases the risk of skin cancers, other than melanoma, in those at high risk.

Eye health Nicotinamide has shown promise in slowing vision loss and providing protection of eye cells with the most promising evidence for protecting the retina from Normal‑tension glaucoma and optic nerve from other form of glaucoma. The research has suggested that stronger retinal ganglion cells protection might be what is effected. Niacin B3 (nicotinic acid); the sister to Nicotinamide works differently on the body and does NOT provide the same action or protection. Current research studies and American Academy of Ophthalmology suggest dosages of 1000mg daily split evenly twice daily of 500mg. The maximum dosage for a healthy adult without liver disease is 1500mg. Exceeding this dosage has contraindicated with damage to the liver because of how it is metabolized causing liver toxicity. Nicotinamide should NOT be taken if the person has a history of liver disease and should be discussed with your healthcare provider if your unsure of interactions with medications or medical history.

Side effects Nicotinamide has minimal side effects. At very high doses above 3 g per day acute liver toxicity has been documented in at least one case. Normal doses are safe during pregnancy.

Chemistry The structure of nicotinamide consists of a pyridine ring to which a primary amide group is attached in the meta position. It is an amide of nicotinic acid. As an aromatic compound, it undergoes electrophilic substitution reactions and transformations of its two functional groups. Examples of these reactions reported in Organic Syntheses include the preparation of 2-chloronicotinonitrile by a two-step process via the N-oxide,

of nicotinonitrile by reaction with phosphorus pentoxide, and of 3-aminopyridine by reaction with a solution of sodium hypobromite, prepared in situ from bromine and sodium hydroxide.

Industrial production The hydrolysis of nicotinonitrile is catalysed by the enzyme nitrile hydratase from Rhodococcus rhodochrous J1, producing 3500 tons per annum of nicotinamide for use in animal feed. The enzyme allows for a more selective synthesis as further hydrolysis of the amide to nicotinic acid is avoided. Nicotinamide can also be made from nicotinic acid. According to Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, worldwide 31,000 tons of nicotinamide were sold in 2014.

Biochemistry

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nicotinamide

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nicotinamide claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nicotinamide before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nicotinamide ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nicotinamide

In research: Nicotinamide appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nicotinamide in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nicotinamide is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics B vitamins, CYP2D6 inhibitors, CYP3A4 inhibitors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nicotinamide outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nicotinamide in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nicotinamide means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nicotinamide out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nicotinamide in simple terms?

Why does Nicotinamide matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nicotinamide?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nicotinamide.