nicotinic acid

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. a crystalline acid, C 6 H 5 NO 2 , that is a component of the vitamin-B complex, found in fresh meat, yeast, etc., produced by the oxidation of nicotine, and used in the prevention and treatment of pellagra.

nicotinic acid

noun

1. a vitamin of the B complex that occurs in milk, liver, yeast, etc. Lack of it in the diet leads to the disease pellagra. Formula: (C 5 H 4 N)COOH Also calledniacin

nicotinic acid

/ nĭk′ə-tĭn′ĭk,-tē′nĭk /

1. See niacin

Word History and Origins

Origin of nicotinic acid¹

First recorded in 1885–90