Nicotinamide
<p><b >Nicotinamide</b>, also known as <b >niacinamide</b> and <b >nicotinic acid amide</b>, is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amide" title="Amide" >amide</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotinic_acid" title="Nicotinic acid" class="mw-redirect" >nicotinic acid</a> (vitamin B<sub >3</sub> / niacin). </p>
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Studies show that nicotinamide has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiolytic" title="Anxiolytic" >anxiolytic</a> (anti-anxiety) properties. It may work in a way similar to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepines" title="Benzodiazepines" class="mw-redirect" >benzodiazepines</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-7" >[8]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-8" >[9]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-9" >[10]</a></sup></p>
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Nicotinamide is a water-soluble <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin" title="Vitamin" >vitamin</a> and is part of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vitamins" title="B vitamins" >vitamin B</a> group. Nicotinic acid, also known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin" title="Niacin" >niacin</a>, is converted to nicotinamide <i ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vivo" title="In vivo" >in vivo</a></i>, and, though the two are identical in their vitamin functions, </p>
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nicotinamide does not have the same pharmacologic and toxic effects of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin" title="Niacin" >niacin</a>, which occur incidental to niacin's conversion. Thus nicotinamide does not reduce cholesterol or cause flushing,<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup> although nicotinamide may be toxic to the liver at doses exceeding 3 g/day for adults.<sup id="cite_ref-Knip_M.2C_Douek_IF.2C_Moore_WP.2C_et_al.2000_1337.E2.80.9345_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-Knip_M.2C_Douek_IF.2C_Moore_WP.2C_et_al.2000_1337.E2.80.9345-1" >[2]</a></sup></p>
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In cells, niacin is incorporated into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotinamide_adenine_dinucleotide" title="Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide" >nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide</a> (NAD) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotinamide_adenine_dinucleotide_phosphate" title="Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate" >nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate</a> (NADP), although the pathways for nicotinamide and nicotinic acid are very similar. NAD+ and NADP+ are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coenzyme" title="Coenzyme" class="mw-redirect" >coenzymes</a> in a wide variety of enzymatic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox" title="Redox" >oxidation-reduction</a> reactions.<sup id="cite_ref-Belenky_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacinamide#cite_note-Belenky-2" >[3]</a></sup> It's produced by the aqueous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aminolysis" title="Aminolysis" >aminolysis</a> of 3-cyanopyridine (nicotinonitrile) and subsequent crystallization.</p>