Vitamins & Cofactors

Many vitamins serve as precursors for coenzymes that are essential in the biochemical pathways peptides interact with. For example, B-complex vitamins are precursors for coenzymes involved in amino acid metabolism, redox chemistry, and methylation pathways — all of which intersect with peptide biology. Including vitamin reference materials alongside peptides allows researchers to run more complete experiments without sourcing components from multiple suppliers.

This pairing is particularly common in metabolic, mitochondrial, and longevity-related research, where peptide signaling and vitamin-dependent coenzyme activity are often studied in parallel.

In biochemistry, a cofactor is a non-protein chemical that is required for a protein or peptide to carry out its biological activity. Common cofactors include metal ions such as copper, zinc, magnesium, and iron, as well as small organic molecules known as coenzymes — many of which are derived from vitamins.

Peptide research often involves cofactors in two ways: as necessary components of certain peptide activities (for example, copper in GHK-Cu), and as reference materials used alongside peptides in enzymatic and metabolic assays. The Vitamins & Cofactors category on Better Molecule provides such supporting research materials in lyophilized form for laboratory use.

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a central coenzyme in cellular metabolism, involved in redox reactions and in the activity of enzymes such as sirtuins and PARPs. It is derived from niacin (vitamin B3) and is widely used in research on cellular energy metabolism, aging, and mitochondrial function — areas where peptides such as MOTS-c and SS-31 are also studied.

Other B-vitamins, including B12 (cobalamin), serve as precursors for coenzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism and methylation, which are relevant to a wide range of peptide-related research. Supplying NAD+ and B-vitamins alongside peptide reference materials enables more integrated laboratory studies of these interconnected pathways.