Structural survey of carbonate-containing antacids

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mineralogy
• Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Background:

• Antacids are widely used to neutralize stomach acid.
• Understanding the structure of antacids is crucial for efficacy and safety.
• Carbonate-containing antacids' mineralogical relationships are not fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of carbonate in antacid formulations.
• To compare the structural characteristics of carbonate antacids with natural carbonate minerals.
• To elucidate the mineralogical classification of amorphous and crystalline antacids.

Main Methods:

• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy was employed to analyze carbonate perturbation.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) was utilized to determine crystalline structures.
• Comparative analysis with known mineral structures was performed.

Main Results:

• The perturbation of carbonate increased in the order: calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide gel, and dihydroxyaluminum sodium carbonate.
• Crystalline antacids showed poorly organized structures resembling calcite, dawsonite, and hydrotalcite.
• Amorphous aluminum hydroxide gel was classified as amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate.
• Magaldrate exhibited a hydrotalcite-like structure with sulfate and carbonate anions.

Conclusions:

• Carbonate antacids share structural similarities with natural carbonate minerals.
• IR and X-ray analyses provide valuable insights into antacid structures and mineralogical classifications.
• Magaldrate's structure is hydrotalcite-like, incorporating sulfate and carbonate.