No. NAD+ is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme built from nucleotides rather than amino acids. It is stocked alongside peptides because the research audience overlaps, not because it belongs to the same chemical class.

MOTS-c is a short peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome, which is what makes it notable. It is studied in metabolic regulation, and it is a genuine peptide in a way NAD+ is not.

Why are they sold together then?

Because buyers researching mitochondrial function search for both. That is a merchandising decision, not a chemical relationship, and treating the shelf as a category is where most of the confusion starts.

MOTS-c vs NAD+ — one is a peptide and the other is not

6 min readUpdated 2026-10-07

MOTS-c is a short peptide encoded within mitochondrial DNA and studied in metabolic regulation. NAD+ is not a peptide at all — it is a dinucleotide coenzyme present in every cell and central to redox reactions. Comparing them is a category error: they are different classes of molecule doing different jobs, and the only thing they genuinely share is a research interest in mitochondrial function.

This comparison is worth writing precisely because it should not exist. MOTS-c and NAD+ are not two versions of the same idea, and the fact that they are routinely ranked against each other says more about how catalogues are organised than about the molecules.

Different classes of molecule

Chemical comparison
	MOTS-c	NAD+
Class	Peptide	Dinucleotide coenzyme
Built from	Amino acids	Nucleotides
Origin	Encoded within mitochondrial DNA	Synthesised in every cell from dietary precursors
Naturally present?	Yes, as a mitochondrial-derived peptide	Yes, universally and abundantly

Why the distinction has practical consequences

Analytical expectations differ. A peptide is characterised by sequence, mass and chromatographic purity. A coenzyme is a defined small molecule with its own identity and purity conventions. A certificate that treats them identically has not been read carefully.

Storage and stability behave differently between a lyophilised peptide and a small-molecule coenzyme.
Purity thresholds that are meaningful for a synthesised peptide are not automatically the right frame for a coenzyme.
"Mitochondrial" is doing a lot of work in marketing copy for both, and it describes an area of interest rather than a shared mechanism.
Endogenous presence is not an argument for anything. Many molecules occur naturally; that says nothing about supplementing them.

The compounds discussed here

MOTS-c NAD+

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Go deeper

NAD+ is not a peptide — what that changes

Frequently asked questions

Is NAD+ a peptide?: No. NAD+ is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme built from nucleotides rather than amino acids. It is stocked alongside peptides because the research audience overlaps, not because it belongs to the same chemical class.
What is MOTS-c?: MOTS-c is a short peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA rather than the nuclear genome, which is what makes it notable. It is studied in metabolic regulation, and it is a genuine peptide in a way NAD+ is not.
Why are they sold together then?: Because buyers researching mitochondrial function search for both. That is a merchandising decision, not a chemical relationship, and treating the shelf as a category is where most of the confusion starts.

References

Primary literature for the compounds above. Links open the record on PubMed.

The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c is a regulator of plasma metabolites and enhances insulin sensitivity Kim SJ, et al. Physiol Rep. 2019. PMID 31293078 → · summary
The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c Promotes Metabolic Homeostasis and Reduces Obesity and Insulin Resistance Lee C, et al. Cell Metab. 2015. PMID 25738459 → · summary
The Mitochondrial-Derived Peptide MOTS-c Promotes Metabolic Homeostasis and Reduces Obesity and Insulin Resistance Lee C, et al. Cell Metab. 2015. PMID 25738459 → · summary