The short answer
5-Amino-1MQ is not a peptide. It is 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium, a small charged aromatic molecule of about 159 Da — smaller than a single tryptophan-containing dipeptide. It has no amino-acid backbone and no peptide bond. It is grouped with peptides only because the same vendors sell it, in capsules, under the same “research chemical” framing used for injectable peptides.
What it actually is
5-Amino-1MQ was developed at the University of Texas Southwestern as a selective inhibitor of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), an enzyme that consumes the methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine and the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide. NNMT is over-expressed in fat tissue in obesity and in several cancers, and inhibiting it was proposed as a way to raise cellular NAD+ availability and increase energy expenditure in adipocytes. The compound is a membrane-permeable, orally available quinolinium salt — chemically closer to a dye than to a hormone.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Chemical class | Quinolinium small molecule |
| Approximate mass | ≈ 159 Da (cation) |
| Target | Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) |
| Human trials | None registered or published |
| Approval | Not established by cited sources |
What the animal studies showed
In diet-induced obese mice, an NNMT inhibitor from this series reduced body weight and fat mass, shrank adipocytes and lowered plasma cholesterol without a reduction in food intake, consistent with increased energy expenditure in fat tissue (Neelakantan et al., Biochemical Pharmacology 2018). Related work reported effects on muscle stem-cell function in aged mice. These are genuine, peer-reviewed preclinical findings — and they are the entire evidence base. There are no human pharmacokinetic, safety or efficacy data, and no clinical trial has been registered.
Why the gap matters
NNMT sits at the junction of methylation and NAD+ metabolism, and inhibiting it systemically in humans is untested: methylation capacity, nicotinamide handling and off-target effects at the doses sold have never been measured. The mouse data do not establish a human dose, a duration or a safety margin. Capsules sold online contain an unverified amount of an uncharacterised compound; that is not a research programme, it is a product without one.
Status and what this page is not
5-Amino-1MQ is not approved for any use in any jurisdiction and is not in human trials. It is included in this directory to correct a classification error — it is not a peptide — and to state the evidence honestly. This is not guidance on obtaining or using it, and it is not medical advice.
Sources and what they cover
These primary studies, official records and standards cover the topics linked below. The scope notes distinguish laboratory findings, human trials and regulatory records. This is a selected bibliography, not a systematic review or verification of every sentence; absence of a study here does not prove that no study exists.
- Neelakantan et al. (2018) — Small-molecule NNMT inhibitors in diet-induced obese mice
Biochemical, cell and mouse experiments involving 5-amino-1MQ; not clinical weight-loss evidence.
Relevant sections: The short answer · What it actually is · What the animal studies showed · Why the gap matters
- IUPAC Gold Book — peptides
Chemical terminology; no evidence of treatment effectiveness.
Relevant sections: The short answer
FAQ
Is 5-amino-1MQ a peptide?+
No. It is a small quinolinium molecule (about 159 Da) that inhibits the enzyme NNMT. It contains no amino acids.
What does 5-amino-1MQ do?+
In mice it reduced fat mass by inhibiting NNMT in fat tissue. There are no human data of any kind.
Is 5-amino-1MQ safe?+
Unknown. No human safety study exists.
Is 5-amino-1MQ approved?+
No, nowhere.