Pepto-Bismol compound s structure unveiled after 120 years | Research | Chemistry World
The structure of bismuth subsalicylate the active ingredient of the stomach relief drug Pepto-Bismol and one of the most commercially important bismuth compounds has finally been uncovered.
Although the substance has been used to treat gastrointestinal disorders for over 120 years, its chemical structure remained a mystery. We felt it was important to determine the structure of one of the most iconic bismuth compounds, says study co-leader Ken Inge from Stockholm University in Sweden.
Glen Briand, an inorganic chemist at Mount Allison University in Canada, who wasn t involved in the study, points out that structures for this type of material are typically determined using x-ray crystallography. This technique requires growth of crystals & in which the molecules in the material pack together in an ordered arrangement, he says. But bismuth subsalicylate forms as very small, disordered crystals that can t be investigated in this way.