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| Sodium citrate | |
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| IUPAC name | trisodium 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate |
| Other names | citrosodine; trisodium citrate; trisodium salt |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [68-04-2] |
| SMILES |
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| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | Na3C6H5O7 |
| Molar mass | 258.06 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Density | 1.7 g/cm³, solid (approximate) |
| Melting point |
150 °C |
| Boiling point |
Decomposes |
| Solubility in water | 72 g/100 ml |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| Main hazards | Irritant |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds | calcium citrate, citric acid |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
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Trisodium citrate has the chemical formula of Na3C6H5O7. It is sometimes referred to simply as sodium citrate, though sodium citrate can refer to any of the three sodium salts of citric acid. It possesses a saline, mildly tart, flavor. For this reason, citrates of certain alkaline and alkaline earth metals (e.g. sodium and calcium citrates) are commonly known as sour salt (occasionally citric acid is erroneously termed sour salt).
Contents |
Applications
Food
Sodium citrate is chiefly used as a food additive, usually for flavor or as a preservative. Sodium citrate is employed as a flavoring agent in certain varieties of club soda.
Sodium citrate is common as an ingredient in lemon-lime and citrus soft drinks such as Ting and Chinotto, contributing to their tart tastes, and can also be found in such energy drinks as Rockstar and Red Bull.
Buffer
As a conjugate base of a weak acid, citrate can perform as a buffering agent, resisting changes in pH. Sodium citrate is used to control acidity in some substances, such as gelatin desserts. It can be found in the mini milk containers used with coffee machines. The compound is the product of antacids such as Alka-Seltzer when they are dissolved in water.
Medical uses
In 1914, the Belgian doctor Albert Hustin and the Argentine physician and researcher Luis Agote successfully used sodium citrate as an anticoagulant in blood transfusions. It continues to be used today in blood collection tubes and for the preservation of blood in blood banks. The citrate ion chelates calcium ions in the blood, disrupting the blood clotting mechanism.
Recently, Oopvik, et al. showed that use of sodium citrate (approx. 37 grams) improved running performance over 5 km by 30 seconds.[1]
Sodium citrate is used to relieve discomfort in urinary tract infections such as cystitis, to reduce the acidosis seen in distal renal tubular acidosis, and can also be used as an osmotic laxative.
It is used as an antacid, especially prior to anaesthesia for caesarian section to reduce the risks associated with the aspiration of gastric contents.
See also
References
- ^ V Oöpik, I Saaremets, L Medijainen, K Karelson, T Janson, S Timpmann (2003). "Effects of sodium citrate ingestion before exercise on endurance performance in well trained college runners". Br J Sports Med 37: 485–489. doi:. PMID 14665584.
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 October 2008, at 04:41.
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