Hygroscopicity is one of those subjects where the details matter more than the headlines. This page pulls together the background, the mechanisms, and the practical points readers ask about most.
Last reviewed on 2026-01-19. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Solid NMN is a polar, water-soluble nucleotide that can absorb moisture from air. Its phosphate ester is susceptible to hydrolysis, and degradation is faster in aqueous solution, under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions, and at elevated temperatures. For laboratory and commercial handling, the solid is typically kept desiccated, protected from light, and stored frozen. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles can introduce moisture and accelerate breakdown. Stability data for specific formulations should be generated rather than assumed from the parent compound.
Identity and purity of NMN are commonly assessed by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection or mass spectrometry. High-performance liquid chromatography can separate related impurities such as nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside, and NAD+ depending on the method. Mass spectrometry provides molecular mass confirmation, while nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy helps establish structure and anomeric form. Quantitative assays often use calibration curves and, in biological samples, stable isotope-labeled internal standards. Method validation addresses specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and limits of detection.
Quality control for NMN materials typically includes appearance, assay, impurity profile, residual solvents, heavy metals, and microbial limits. A certificate of analysis summarizes specified tests, but the underlying methods and laboratory accreditation matter. Regulatory treatment varies by country; NMN is sold as a dietary supplement in some markets, while other jurisdictions restrict its use in foods or classify it differently. Independent verification can reduce risks of mislabeling or substitution. Questions remain about how product purity, storage history, and formulation affect delivered dose in humans.
Nicotinamide mononucleotide, abbreviated NMN, is a naturally occurring nucleotide found in cells. Its structure consists of a nicotinamide ring linked to ribose phosphate, and the compound serves as an intermediate in the salvage pathway for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+. In this pathway, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase converts nicotinamide and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate into NMN, after which NMN adenylyltransferase attaches an adenylate group to produce NAD+. Because NAD+ participates in redox reactions and signaling, NMN occupies a central position in cellular metabolism. The molecule is distinct from nicotinamide riboside, though the two are related in NAD+ precursor research.
Beyond its intracellular synthesis, NMN can be taken up from the extracellular environment, although the routes are still debated. Some evidence points to direct transport into cells through specific transporters, while other work suggests dephosphorylation to nicotinamide riboside followed by cellular uptake. Once inside, NMN can be converted to NAD+ by NMN adenylyltransferases; the relative contribution of these routes may differ by tissue, species, and experimental conditions. Researchers continue to investigate which mechanisms dominate in intact organisms and how they affect measured NAD+ levels. Direct measurement in tissues remains technically challenging because NMN can be rapidly metabolized during sample collection.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white powder | Visual description varies by grade |
| Solubility class | Freely soluble in water | Polar nucleotide; less soluble in organic solvents |
| Typical storage temperature | -20°C or below | Protect from moisture and light; desiccated |
| Common analytical method | HPLC-UV or LC-MS | Used for identity and purity; NMR for structure |
| Hygroscopicity | Hygroscopic | Absorbs moisture; keep sealed |
Stability studies indicate that NMN is sensitive to heat, light, and pH extremes. In aqueous solution, hydrolysis can cleave the phosphate linkage or convert NMN to related nicotinamide derivatives, with degradation accelerating at elevated temperatures and alkaline conditions. Solid material is generally more stable when kept dry and cold, and research-grade supplies are often stored at minus twenty degrees Celsius or lower, protected from light and moisture. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles of solutions can promote degradation, so aliquoting is a common laboratory practice. The exact shelf life depends on purity, counterion, packaging, and storage history.
Quality control for NMN focuses on identity, purity, and the absence of harmful contaminants. Certificates of analysis may report high-performance liquid chromatography purity, mass spectrometry identity, residual solvents, heavy metals, and microbial limits, depending on grade and intended use. Because NMN can exist as different isomers, salts, or hydrates, specification sheets should state the exact form being tested. There is no single globally harmonized purity standard for NMN products. Open questions include which degradation products are most relevant under real-world storage and how analytical results from different laboratories can be compared reliably.
Nicotinamide mononucleotide, abbreviated NMN, is a naturally occurring nucleotide. Its structure combines a nicotinamide ring, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate group. The compound exists in cells as an intermediate in the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a central redox cofactor. NMN is distinct from nicotinamide riboside, another related pyridine nucleotide, although the two compounds can converge in metabolic pathways. Its chemical formula is C11H15N2O8P, and it carries a net negative charge at physiological pH.
In the salvage pathway, NMN is generated from nicotinamide and 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate by the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase. A second route produces NMN from nicotinamide riboside through phosphorylation by nicotinamide riboside kinases. NMN is then converted to NAD+ by nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferases, often called NMNAT enzymes. This stepwise route allows cells to recycle nicotinamide and maintain NAD+ levels under changing metabolic conditions. The relative contribution of each route varies by tissue, species, and physiological state, and it remains an active area of research.
Research on NMN has expanded because NAD+ concentrations decline with age in some tissues and because NAD+ participates in energy metabolism, DNA repair, and signaling. Animal studies have reported changes in NAD+ levels after NMN administration, but human data are more limited and often focus on safety, pharmacokinetics, and biomarker changes. Questions remain about oral absorption, tissue distribution, and whether changes in blood NAD+ reflect changes inside specific organs. NMN is not an approved drug, and claims about its clinical effects should be distinguished from established biochemical findings.
Stability testing examines how temperature, humidity, light, and pH affect NMN over time. The compound is generally stored cold, often at minus twenty degrees Celsius or lower, in a desiccated container protected from light. Aqueous solutions tend to be less stable than dry powder because hydrolysis and dephosphorylation can occur, potentially forming nicotinamide riboside or other degradation products. Stress studies may expose samples to heat, acid, base, oxidation, and strong light to identify likely degradation pathways. Results from such studies help define shelf life and handling recommendations, though exact stability depends on formulation and packaging.
Quality control for NMN materials typically includes identity, assay, purity, and impurity profiling. Tests may cover residual solvents, heavy metals, microbial limits, and water content, depending on the intended use and local rules. Impurity profiles can include related substances such as nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside, and NAD+, which may form during synthesis or storage. Because commercial NMN can be offered as different salts or hydrate forms, a certificate of analysis should state the form and the analytical methods used. Independent verification is relevant because supplement markets vary in testing requirements and enforcement.
Laboratory identification of NMN usually relies on chromatographic separation coupled with ultraviolet or mass spectrometric detection. High-performance liquid chromatography with UV absorbance can quantify the compound against a reference standard, while liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry offers lower detection limits and better specificity in complex matrices. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy can confirm structural identity and isomeric form. Ion chromatography or capillary electrophoresis may be used to identify counterions such as sodium. Method validation includes accuracy, precision, linearity, and limits of detection.
Yaqout had also been linked to the timeshare vacation apartment scam of British gangster John "Goldfinger" Palmer (who was murdered in 2015). This scam cheated 20,000 customers out of their money which reached a figure of up to €400 million. It was reported that Yaqout was involved in cocaine trafficking alongside prominent figures of the Moroccan mafia, such as his cousin Naoufal Fassih and Ridouan Taghi. Yaqout was assassinated in his car in the neighbourhood of Las Petunias in San Pedro de Alcántara on 22 January 2019. At least one hitman was involved, riddling the drivers' side of Yaqout's Bentley with more than 20 bullets while he was waiting for an electric gate to open. He allegedly tried to escape the assassination by crawling onto the passenger side but was found dead halfway between the seats. He is buried in his hometown in Khouribga, Morocco. The Bouyakhrichan organisation are the main suspects of this assassination. Naoufal Fassih was alongside Taghi allegedly allied with the Iranian secret service and ordered to carry out gangland-style killings on enemies of the Iranian government who were hiding out on European soil.
== ABRF Executive Board == Kevin Knudtson, ABRF President, Genomics Division, University of Iowa Justine Kigenyi, Treasurer, KU Medical Center Marie Adams, Van Andel Institute Roxann Ashworth, Johns Hopkins University Kym Delventhal, Stowers Institute for Medical Research Sridar Chittur, SUNY Albany Nick Ambulos, University of Maryland School of Medicine Sue Weintraub, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Magnus Palmblad, Leiden University Medical Center Ken Schoppmann, ABRF Executive Director
=== Addiction === The KOR system is involved in increased drug-seeking behavior. KOR agonists have been investigated for their therapeutic potential in the treatment of addiction. and evidence points towards dynorphin peptides, the endogenous KOR agonists, to be the body's natural addiction control mechanism. Childhood stress and abuse are well-known predictors of drug abuse which is reflected in alterations of the MOR and KOR systems. In experimental "addiction" models the KOR has also been shown to influence stress-induced relapse to drug seeking behavior. For the drug-dependent individual, risk of relapse is a major obstacle to becoming drug-free. Recent reports demonstrated that KORs are required for stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and broader striatum are among the brain regions most strongly associated with addiction, although other structures that project to and from the NAcc also play critical roles in addictive processes. Though many other changes occur, addiction is often characterized by the reduction in the availability of dopamine D2 receptors in the NAcc. In addition to decreasing NAcc D2 binding, cocaine is also known to produce a variety of changes to the primate brain such as increases of prodynorphin mRNA in caudate putamen and decreases of the same polypeptide in the hypothalamus. The administration of a KOR agonist produced an opposite effect, causing an increase in D2 receptor availability in the NAcc.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
=== Cuban linkage and "Namibianisation" === During his final years in office, Vorster had recognised that growing international pressure would eventually force South Africa to grant some form of autonomy or independence to South West Africa. He made token acknowledgements of the UN's role in deciding the territory's future and his administration had publicly renounced the notion of annexation. As Vorster's successor, Botha felt bound by this commitment—at least in principle—to an autonomous South West Africa. His strategy was to cultivate a viable political alternative to SWAPO, preferably moderate and anti-communist in nature, which was committed to close military and security links with South Africa. In the meantime, Botha forestalled further discussions on an internal settlement by demanding the withdrawal of the Cuban armed forces from Angola as a precondition of Namibian independence. Botha argued that the Cuban presence in Angola constituted a legitimate security concern for South West Africa, so it was not unreasonable that independence be contingent on a prior Cuban withdrawal. This initiative was supported by the US, which wanted a Namibian settlement consistent with Western interests, namely a region free of what Chester Crocker termed "Soviet-Cuban military adventurism". Crocker endorsed the linkage since it was related to South West Africa's security situation, which needed to be stabilised prior to independence. Botha's precondition was denounced by SWAPO for arbitrarily tying South West Africa's fate to the resolution of another regional conflict.
nickase Another name for a nicking enzyme, especially one that has been artificially engineered to create single-stranded breaks (i.e. nicks) by altering the cleavage activity of an endonuclease that normally creates double-stranded breaks, e.g. Cas9 nickase (nCas9).
Tolkien learnt to paint and draw as a child and continued to do so all his adult life. From early in his writing career, the development of his stories was accompanied by drawings and paintings, especially of landscapes, and by maps of the lands in which the tales were set. He produced pictures to accompany the stories told to his own children, including those later published in Mr Bliss and Roverandom, and sent them elaborately illustrated letters purporting to come from Father Christmas. Although he regarded himself as an amateur, the publisher used the author's own cover art, his maps, and full-page illustrations for the early editions of The Hobbit. He prepared maps and illustrations for The Lord of the Rings, but the first edition contained only the maps, his calligraphy for the inscription on the One Ring, and his ink drawing of the Doors of Durin. Much of his artwork was collected and published in 1995 as a book: J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. The book discusses Tolkien's paintings, drawings, and sketches and reproduces approximately 200 examples of his work. Catherine McIlwaine curated a major exhibition of Tolkien's artwork at the Bodleian Library, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, accompanied by a book of the same name that analyses Tolkien's achievement and illustrates the full range of the types of artwork that he created.
Similar delays in the MICV program meant the ultimate vehicles descending from their efforts, the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle, did not enter production until 1981, by which point the Bushmaster had matured. Since 1990, there have been several enhancements made upon the weapon, resulting in the enhanced 25 mm gun. To date, more than 10,500 weapons are in service. One of the major reasons for this popularity is the extremely reliable nature of the weapon. It has a rating of 22,000 mean rounds between failure (MRBF), much higher than many comparable devices.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
The Green Party says it has blocked a "small number" of candidates from standing as Green candidates at the election after investigations into their online activities. Plaid Cymru withdraws its support for Sharifah Rahman, who was scheduled to represent the party as a candidate in Cardiff South and Penarth, following social media posts about the "situation in the Middle East" that "do not reflect the views and values of Plaid Cymru". The Senedd Reform Bill Committee has warned that plans for gender quotas at the next Senedd election could face legal challenges, and urges the Welsh Government to take urgent action to protect the election. 8 June – Stewart Sutherland, the Reform UK candidate for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, withdraws his candidacy after allegations he reported racist content. Social media platform X takes action against an organisation that has been smearing British politicians with deepfake videos by removing a number of accounts. 9 June – The Sunday Mail reports allegations that Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross used Westminster expenses to travel in his role as a football linesman. 10 June – The list of candidates standing in the 2024 general election is published, with more than 4,500 candidates setting a new record for the number of people standing at an election. Douglas Ross announces his resignation as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, triggering a leadership election. Ross says he will also resign from Holyrood if he is re-elected to Westminster.
=== Flammability === Metallic plutonium is a fire hazard, especially if finely divided. In a moist environment, plutonium forms hydrides on its surface, which are pyrophoric and may ignite in air at room temperature. Plutonium expands up to 70% in volume as it oxidizes and thus may break its container. The radioactivity of the burning material is another hazard. Magnesium oxide sand is probably the most effective material for extinguishing a plutonium fire. It cools the burning material, acting as a heat sink, and also blocks off oxygen. Special precautions are necessary to store or handle plutonium in any form; generally a dry inert gas atmosphere is required.
The beef hormone controversy or beef hormone dispute is a disagreement over the use of growth hormones in beef production. In 1989, the European Communities banned the import of meat that contained artificial beef growth hormones, although they were approved for use in the United States. In 2003 estradiol-17β was permanently banned, while provisionally banning five others. World Trade Organization (WTO) rules permit such bans, but only where a signatory presents valid scientific evidence that the ban is a health and safety measure. Canada and the United States opposed this ban, taking the EU to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. In 1997, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body ruled against the EU. It remains one of the most intractable agricultural trade controversies since the establishment of the WTO. It is not the same as the UK–EU dispute over bovine spongiform encephalopathy, although both have been termed the "beef war".
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Solid NMN is often stored frozen, desiccated, and protected from light. Aqueous solutions are less stable and generally require colder storage or fresh preparation.
Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are used for structural confirmation. Liquid chromatography with ultraviolet or mass spectrometric detection is common for purity and quantity.
No. Chemical purity indicates the material matches specification; it does not demonstrate absorption, biological activity, or clinical benefit. Those questions require controlled human studies.
NMN is nicotinamide mononucleotide, a nucleotide intermediate in NAD+ biosynthesis. It consists of nicotinamide, ribose, and phosphate groups.