5-AMINO-1-MQ

5-Amino-1MQ (short for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium) is a small research molecule — it is not a peptide. It was made in the laboratory to block an enzyme called NNMT (nicotinamide N-methyltransferase), and it is studied mostly in metabolism and aging research [1][2].

How it works

NNMT is an enzyme that uses up nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3 that the body turns into NAD+, a molecule cells rely on to make energy). When NNMT is very busy — for example inside fat tissue — researchers have suggested it can tip a cell's energy balance. 5-Amino-1MQ fits into NNMT and slows it down (this is what "inhibitor" means). By easing off NNMT, studies look at whether cells hold on to more of the building blocks tied to NAD+ and energy use [1][3].

What researchers have studied it for

Fat and metabolism. In mice fed a high-fat diet, researchers reported that a small-molecule NNMT blocker like 5-Amino-1MQ went along with lower body weight and smaller fat stores, without the animals eating less [1]. Earlier work that simply lowered NNMT in fat tissue pointed the same way [3].

Muscle and aging. A separate mouse study reported that blocking NNMT helped "wake up" tired, aged muscle stem cells and improved how well old muscle repaired itself [2]. That is why 5-Amino-1MQ also comes up in aging and longevity research.

Cellular energy (NAD+). Because NNMT sits right next to the vitamin-B3-to-NAD+ pathway, it is often studied alongside other NAD-related compounds in research on how cells make and spend energy [4].

What the research hasn't shown yet

Almost all of this work is in cells and animals. There are no established results in people, and the researchers themselves stress that animal findings do not automatically carry over to humans. For that reason 5-Amino-1MQ is supplied strictly for in-vitro laboratory research only.

For laboratory use, store the freeze-dried (lyophilized) powder at -20°C, away from light and moisture. It can be dissolved in sterile or bacteriostatic water to make a stock solution. Keep the dissolved solution cold (2–8°C) for short-term use, split it into small portions so you don't freeze and thaw it over and over, and keep it out of direct light.