Magnesium Carbonate

Magnesium carbonate-containing antacid preparations were compared with other antacid formulations for their acid-neutralizing properties in an in vitro study. The acid-neutralizing capacity of carbonate-containing antacids was determined by reverse titration of excess hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide. The amount of acid neutralized per gram of preparation depended on the percentage of carbonate content, with experimental Antacid-1 containing 21 mg magnesium carbonate per tablet achieving an acid-neutralizing capacity of 12.1±0.2 mmol HCl per gram. When adjusted to the mass of alkaline-earth-metal carbonates per gram of preparation, Antacid-2 showed the highest neutralizing capacity, which may be attributed to additional acid binding by activated charcoal present in the formulation. Carbonate-containing preparations including Antacid-1 and Rennie reduced acidity most rapidly, increasing pH to 6 to 7, with Antacid-1 reaching pH 3.5 within the first minute of neutralization.
These findings demonstrated that magnesium carbonate-containing antacids provide rapid and effective acid neutralization through carbonate-mediated neutralization of hydrochloric acid.

Fig. 1 Change of pH upon neutralization of HCl by antacid preparations. (Grinshpan D D.; et al. 2008)

Mesoporous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles were developed as a carrier to load metronidazole and ketoprofen for acute periodontitis treatment. The formulation released 70.11% of metronidazole and 85.97% of ketoprofen within one minute, representing 8.76-fold and 3.43-fold increases compared to the crystalline drugs. The MET-KET@MMC nanoparticles exhibited rapid antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis and rapid anti-inflammatory properties in vitro, with no cytotoxicity observed in human gingival cells. This MMC-based system addresses the limitations of drug solubility and provides immediate drug release, making it a promising candidate for the pharmacotherapy of acute periodontitis.

Fig. 2 Preparation of mesoporous magnesium carbonate nanoparticles. (Yu Z.; et al. 2023)