General description
Nicotinic acid, also referred to as niacin or as vitamin B3[1], is a water-soluble vitamin.[2] Nicotinic acid is synthesized from the amino acid tryptophan and is present majorly in peanuts, fish and lean meat.[3]
Application
Nicotinic acid has been used as an antioxidant to evaluate its protective functionality in colon LoVo cell lines against doxorubicin induced cytotoxicity.[7]
Biochem/physiol Actions
Nicotinic modulates lipid metabolism and may be useful in treating dyslipidemia.[1] It is an antioxidant and acts as a coenzyme in the form of nicotinamide adenine nucleotides.[3] Deficiency of niacin leads to enhanced lipid peroxidation and is also implicated in Crohn′s disease[3] Deficiency also impacts DNA repair[6] and also leads to skin and gastrointestinal disorder, pellagra.[5] Nicotinic acid reduces the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) synthesis and improves high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels.[4]