In vitro acid reactivity of three commercial antacid tablets

The in vitro acid reactivity of three commercial brands of aluminum and magnesium hydroxide antacid tablets was determined by two methods. A pH-stat test was used to examine the rate and extent of acid neutralization at a constant pH of 3.0. A modified Rossett-Rice test was used to record the length of time during which the antacid products maintained the pH of a simulated gastric solution at between 3.0 and 5.0. Acid neutralization by product A was faster and more complete than that by product B or C. The percent of theoretical acid consuming capacity at 30 minutes of product A (86.8%) was significantly greater than that of product B (56.1%) and product C (57.0%) tablets. The 32-minute Rosett-Rice time A was significantly longer than the 16- and 12-minute times of products B and C, respectively. The differences observed may be attributed to different reactivities of the raw materials used in the products, or formulation and processing variables. It is not known how the data relate to in vivo performance.