Influence of Citric, Acetic, and Ascorbic Acids on the Solubility of Paracetamol

Authors

  • Dwi Sapri Ramadhan Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Dian Wardana Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Jaman Fahmi Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Wulan Dwi Safitri Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Amanda Aulia Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Gracia purba Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Anrian Haholongan Manalu Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Angelica Damanik Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Ida Mariati Tambunan Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Moondra Zubir Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia.
  • Abd Hakim S Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan 20221, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24114/ijcst.v8i2.68730

Abstract

This study examined the influence of citric, acetic, and ascorbic acids on the solubility of paracetamol, an analgesic with inherently low aqueous solubility. Paracetamol tablets were dissolved in different concentrations of organic acid solutions, and dissolution times were visually monitored. The most rapid dissolution occurred in 30% acetic acid solution (190 seconds), followed by the citric–acetic acid mixture. Increasing paracetamol mass extended dissolution time, with saturation reached at 3.5 g. Enhanced solubility was attributed to hydrogen bonding interactions between organic acids and paracetamol molecules. Compared with complex techniques such as solid dispersions or co-amorphous systems, this acid-assisted approach is simple, low-cost, and requires no specialized equipment. These findings highlight the role of weak organic acids as practical solubility enhancers and suggest a promising strategy to improve paracetamol bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness.

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Published

2025-08-27

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Articles