What is niacin?
Niacin is the collective name for nicotinic acid and nicotinamide (also called niacinamide), the two compounds with vitamin B3 activity. Both are stable, water-soluble white crystalline powders and are converted in the body into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and its phosphate (NADP).
NAD and NADP take part in hundreds of oxidation-reduction reactions, including the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Most animals can make some niacin from the amino acid tryptophan, but the conversion is inefficient and varies by species; cats cannot make enough and depend fully on the diet.
What does niacin do in animal feed?
- Poultry: supports growth, feathering and leg health. Deficiency is associated with leg disorders (enlarged hocks), poor feathering and inflammation of the mouth. Ducks and turkeys are generally considered more sensitive than chickens.
- Pigs: needed for normal growth, skin condition and digestive health; deficiency signs include poor growth, dermatitis and diarrhoea.
- Ruminants: rumen microbes synthesise niacin, but supplementation, often in rumen-protected form, is used in high-yielding dairy cows, particularly around calving, to support energy and fat metabolism.
- Companion animals and fish: dietary niacin is required; tryptophan conversion cannot be relied on, especially in cats.
Forms and sources of niacin
Cereals such as corn and wheat contain niacin, but a large part of it is bound in forms that monogastric animals digest poorly, so the niacin in grain-based diets is usually only partly available. Oilseed meals and animal by-products contribute more available niacin, and a high-tryptophan diet reduces the dietary need somewhat.
- Nicotinic acid: the most common form in feed premixes; stable and cost-effective.
- Nicotinamide: equally active as a vitamin source; preferred in some applications because it is neutral and less irritant.
- Rumen-protected niacin: coated products designed to pass the rumen for dairy cattle.
How is the niacin supplement level assessed?
Nutritionists set the niacin level from the requirement of the species, age and production stage, while taking into account that most of the native niacin in cereals is of limited availability. In practice, many formulations treat native niacin as a safety margin and cover the requirement mainly with supplemental niacin from the premix. Tryptophan level, growth rate, stress and the target performance are also considered. Local regulations and the product label always prevail.
Quality criteria
- Assay (active content) and identity of the form: nicotinic acid or nicotinamide.
- Loss on drying, heavy metals and other impurities.
- Particle size and flowability for even distribution in the premix.
- Compatibility: niacin is one of the more stable vitamins, but premix storage conditions (moisture, heat) still matter for the whole vitamin pack.
- Certificate of analysis (CoA) and lot traceability.
CTF Premix and niacin
Niacin can be included in CTF Premix's vitamin premixes, vitamin-mineral premixes and custom premixes according to the customer's formulation, alongside the other B vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals. Production takes place at our Ankara facility under ISO 9001:2015 and GMP, and every lot is supplied with a certificate of analysis and lot traceability that can be checked on our batch verification page.
This page is for general information. Inclusion rates and product choice should be decided with a nutritionist, taking into account the species, the feed formulation and the applicable regulations.