Abstract
The use of antacids to reduce gastric acidity has medicinal value in relieving pain and improving patients’ symptoms. Currently, the number of antacids available in the drug market is vast, so there is a need to test their efficacy. This laboratory work aimed to conduct an experiment in which four drugs (Gaviscon™, Omeprazole, TUMS™, and Mylanta™) were used to neutralize hydrochloric acid.
The deterrent potential of each drug was evaluated by determining the number of acid droplets required to establish an acidic environment. The results showed that Gaviscon™ and TUMS™ had the best antacid properties, Omeprazole had moderate performance, and Mylanta™ had the worst performance. The study’s findings can inform decisions on which antacid to use to treat excessive gastric acidity.
Introduction
The human body can produce strong hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, which helps break down complex organic molecules. Consequently, the presence of acid in the stomach is a natural state of the body. However, there are pathological conditions in which hydrochloric acid synthesis becomes excessive, leading to a significant increase in its concentration.
From a chemical perspective, this leads to a decrease in the environment’s pH and more acidic conditions. From a biological point of view, excess stomach acidity irritates the mucosa and creates opportunities for the development of pain syndromes, gastritis, ulcers, and even cancer (Ahmed and Momoh 2021). Obviously, such a condition is neither favorable nor desirable, and hence there is an urgent need to treat gastric hyperacidity.
Antacids are a group of drugs that are used to neutralize excess hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Chemically, it is known that substances with basic properties are capable of interacting with acids, resulting in the formation of corresponding salts and water – this is the mechanism of the neutralization reaction (Tighe et al., 2023). As a consequence, the acidity of the stomach environment is reduced, thereby lessening the effects of pain syndromes and the potential for complications. Currently, there are many antacid options available on the drug market, depending on patient choice, physician prescription, and financial capabilities. The multiplicity of such drugs raises a natural question: do they have the same medicinal efficacy?
The present laboratory work aims to conduct blind chemical experiments with four antacid drugs. The practical value of such a study is to identify the commercially available drug that best neutralizes gastric hydrochloric acid and achieves the most effective patient outcomes. The type of drug labeled for blinding purposes (A-D; 4 samples in total) serves as the experiment’s independent variable. The number of hydrochloric acid drops required to lower the pH is used as the dependent variable. The study hypothesizes that the drug efficacy of the four samples (neutralization intensity) differs.
Materials and Methods
The methodological design of the present laboratory work is based on experimentation. Four known drugs (Gaviscon™, Omeprazole, TUMS™, and Mylanta™) were tested for their efficacy in neutralizing hydrochloric acid. For blinding purposes, the drugs were labeled A-D, so that it was not known which drug was used at the time of testing. Additionally, distilled water was used as a negative control to evaluate the effect of the color indicator.
First, using a pipette, 5 mL of distilled water was transferred into a test tube. Second, single dosage information was collected for each drug given — this amount was (accurately) used to create solutions. Solid tablets were ground to a powder using a mortar and pestle, then dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water. Liquid antacids were dissolved by adding an exact volume of the drug to a 250 mL beaker, then adding 100 mL of distilled water.
Third, 5 mL of the respective solutions were added to each of the four prepared beakers, resulting in five beakers: one with water and four with samples. Fourth, 4 drops of Bromocresol Purple indicator were added to each test tube, giving the solutions and water a purple color.
After stirring gently to distribute the indicator thoroughly, 1.0 M HCl was added alternately to each test tube, and the contents were gently mixed. Acid drops were added if the solution did not have a stable yellow color after stirring, indicating the formation of an acidic environment. To check whether the solution’s color remained unchanged after adding the required number of acid drops, all samples were left for 10 minutes. All data were collected and recorded in a table while the tests were being performed.
Results
The present laboratory work yielded two outcomes: the number of drops required to achieve yellow coloration and rankings of the samples by medicinal efficacy. As an additional check, the color of the solutions was evaluated 10 minutes after the addition of acid. All the information on the outcomes of the described tests was summarized in Table 1. In addition, the results of the number of drops required were summarized in Figure 1, allowing a quick determination of drug efficacy. The results showed that the antacid efficacy of the four samples varied with the number of acid drops added.
Table 1. Results of the number of acid droplets required to acquire yellow coloration, color outcomes after ten minutes, and performance ranking.
Discussion
The present laboratory work aimed to measure the efficacy of four drugs in terms of their acid-neutralization ability. The amount of acid drops added to the sample solutions was chosen as a signal — the higher the amount, the greater the potential for the drug to retain neutralizing properties and, hence, the more basic its environment. The results showed that the drugs’ effectiveness varied, allowing us to accept the experiment’s working hypothesis.
Specifically, samples A (Gaviscon™) and C (TUMS™) showed the best neutralizing properties, sample B (Omeprazole) had the average, and sample D (Mylanta™) showed the worst result. This implies that the antacid properties of these drugs differ, and that Gaviscon™ and TUMS™ neutralize more acid. This translates into better patient outcomes through the most intense reduction in pain symptoms and improved treatment outcomes.
The results obtained correlate ambiguously with those of other authors. For example, Omeprazole, which in this paper showed average efficacy in neutralizing acid, was rated by Tighe et al. (2023) as not affecting symptoms or unable to have an unambiguous effect on reducing gastric symptoms. On the other hand, Hackman (2013) showed that Gaviscon™ had excellent properties for long-term pain reduction and symptom relief in patients, which correlates with the results obtained in the experiment.
In addition, Ahmed and Momoh (2021) showed that aluminum- and magnesium hydroxide-based formulations can exhibit both increased and decreased efficacy compared to Omeprazole. This correlates with the results in this paper, as Mylanta™ (aluminum and magnesium hydroxide) had the worst acid inhibition, while Gaviscon™ (aluminum hydroxide and magnesium carbonate) had the best (Gaumnitz 2013). Thus, the results of the conducted experiment consider only the drugs’ chemical effects, not additional metabolic processes relevant to drug efficacy.
References
Ahmed MH, Momoh MK. 2021. Determination of the effectiveness and Acid Neutralization Capacities (ANC) of some commercial antacid tablets. Iconic Res. Eng. J. 5 (1): 1-10.
Gaumnitz EA. 2013. Gastroesophageal Reflux and the Lung. New York, NY: Humana. Pharmacologic treatment of GERD; p 227-247.
Hackman KL. 2013. Are sodium alginate solutions effective in reducing postprandial symptoms in adults with gastroesophageal reflux? PCOM.
Tighe MP, Andrews E, Liddicoat I, Afzal NA, Hayen A,Beattie RM. 2023. Pharmacological treatment of gastro‐oesophageal reflux in children. CDSR (8): 1-106.