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Aqueous LC-MS/MS quantification of α-/β-nicotinamide mononucleotide in dietary supplements using a pentabromophenyl column

Chng Sze Hoei, Nian-Hua Wu, Chao-Ming Tsen, Ping-Wei Sun, Han-Wei Chang, Shin-Yuan Wang, Hung-Yu Lin
Analytica Chimica Acta 2026 1386:345027

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41545110
Competing interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work.

Study snapshot

DesignAnalytical method-development and validation study followed by testing of eight commercial NMN dietary supplements.
ModelEight commercial NMN supplement products; laboratory analytical chemistry rather than a biological or clinical population.
Sample8 commercial NMN supplements tested after method validation.
InterventionNo clinical intervention. Commercial supplements were analyzed using fully aqueous LC-MS/MS capable of baseline separation of α-NMN and β-NMN.
DurationNot applicable — laboratory product analysis.
Endpointsα-NMN and β-NMN separation; Isomer-specific quantification; Linearity; Sensitivity; Precision; Accuracy; Matrix effects; Label and ingredient authenticity

What the study showed, in plain terms

This 2026 analytical paper developed and validated a mass-spectrometry method that can distinguish the α and β isomers of NMN, then used it to test eight commercial NMN supplements.

The products showed substantial variation in isomer composition, including undeclared or inaccurately labeled ingredients. That matters because a generic purity percentage does not necessarily tell a buyer which NMN isomer is present.

The study supports the need for finished-product identity testing and batch-specific certificates of analysis. It does not show that one commercial product is clinically more effective than another.

Key findings

  • The pentabromophenyl column separated α-NMN and β-NMN within three minutes under fully aqueous conditions.
  • The method was validated for linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy and matrix effects.
  • Testing eight commercial supplements revealed substantial variation in isomer composition.
  • Some products contained undeclared or inaccurately labeled ingredients.
  • Isomer-specific testing provides information that a simple total-NMN assay can miss.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Only eight commercial products were tested, and the abstract does not establish that the sampled products represent the wider global NMN market.

This is a product-authentication study. It does not compare clinical absorption, health effects or long-term safety between α-NMN and β-NMN products.

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