The Effects of The Effects of Antacids on Pepsin Antacids on Pepsin Madeleine FinkenaurMadeleine Finkenaur

The Academy of Notre DameThe Academy of Notre Dame

QuestionQuestion

How much do antacids interfere with the How much do antacids interfere with the stomach’s ability to breakdown food stomach’s ability to breakdown food proteins? proteins?

Background InformationBackground Information

Food proteins are vital to the body and are Food proteins are vital to the body and are broken down in the stomach by pepsinbroken down in the stomach by pepsin

Pepsin, a proteolytic enzyme in the stomach, Pepsin, a proteolytic enzyme in the stomach, requires a pH level of 1-3requires a pH level of 1-3

This acidity is obtained by hydrochloric This acidity is obtained by hydrochloric acid(HCl), which is secreted by the stomachacid(HCl), which is secreted by the stomach

Antacids lower the acidity level of the stomach, Antacids lower the acidity level of the stomach, making it difficult for food protein breakdown to making it difficult for food protein breakdown to occuroccur

HypothesisHypothesis

TThe antacids will slightly hinder the food he antacids will slightly hinder the food protein breakdown process in the protein breakdown process in the stomach.stomach.

MaterialsMaterials

1 ml of Pepsin 1 ml of Pepsin Distilled waterDistilled water Single dose of Pepto-BismolSingle dose of Pepto-Bismol

Single dose of Acid ReducerSingle dose of Acid Reducer 650 mg of NaHCO3 650 mg of NaHCO3 7 150 ml beakers7 150 ml beakers

electronic pH probeelectronic pH probe

stirring battonstirring batton mortar and pestlemortar and pestle

10 ml Graduated cylinder10 ml Graduated cylinder incubator at 37incubator at 37CC

.1 Molar HCl.1 Molar HCl Single dose of Heartburn Single dose of Heartburn

ReliefRelief Single dose of TUMS Single dose of TUMS 27 test tubes and holders27 test tubes and holders 27 small hard-boiled egg 27 small hard-boiled egg

piecespieces pH stripspH strips scalescale pipetspipets chemical spoonchemical spoon 100 ml Graduated cylinder100 ml Graduated cylinder

ProcedureProcedure

Make a 1% pepsin solution with 99mL of distilled Make a 1% pepsin solution with 99mL of distilled water in a 150mL beakerwater in a 150mL beaker

Make a 1% hydrochloric acid solution with 99mL of Make a 1% hydrochloric acid solution with 99mL of distilled water in a 150mL beakerdistilled water in a 150mL beaker

Take four test tubes and add 5mL of the pepsin Take four test tubes and add 5mL of the pepsin solution and 5mL of distilled water in one, 5mL of the solution and 5mL of distilled water in one, 5mL of the hydrochloric acid solution and 5mL of distilled water in hydrochloric acid solution and 5mL of distilled water in another, 5mL of the pepsin solution and 5mL of the another, 5mL of the pepsin solution and 5mL of the hydrochloric acid solution in the third test tube, and hydrochloric acid solution in the third test tube, and 10mL of distilled water in the last one10mL of distilled water in the last one

Crush a single dose of each antacid (TUMS, Pepto-Crush a single dose of each antacid (TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Acid Reducer, Heartburn Relief, and NaHCO3) Bismol, Acid Reducer, Heartburn Relief, and NaHCO3) separately with a mortar and pestle.separately with a mortar and pestle.

Add each antacid to a 150mL beaker with 100mL of Add each antacid to a 150mL beaker with 100mL of hydrochloric acid hydrochloric acid

ProcedureProcedure

Take five more test tubes and fill each one with 5mL of Take five more test tubes and fill each one with 5mL of the 1% pepsin solution the 1% pepsin solution

Add 5mL of every one of the five antacid solutions to the Add 5mL of every one of the five antacid solutions to the five test tubes with the pepsin solution separatelyfive test tubes with the pepsin solution separately

Record the pH level of every test tube Record the pH level of every test tube Cut a small piece of hard-boiled egg for each test tubes Cut a small piece of hard-boiled egg for each test tubes

and record the mass of each egg pieceand record the mass of each egg piece Add the egg to every test tube and cover all the test Add the egg to every test tube and cover all the test

tubestubes Store all the test tubes in an incubator at 37Store all the test tubes in an incubator at 37C for 48 C for 48

hours hours Uncap all the test tubes after 48 hours and weigh the Uncap all the test tubes after 48 hours and weigh the

hard-boiled egg slices from each test tube and recordhard-boiled egg slices from each test tube and record Repeat this procedure for three trialsRepeat this procedure for three trials

Controls and VariablesControls and Variables

ControlsControls Pepsin + Distilled Water, HCl + Distilled Water, Pepsin + Distilled Water, HCl + Distilled Water,

Distilled Water, Pepsin + HClDistilled Water, Pepsin + HCl

Independent VariableIndependent Variable Antacids: TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Acid Reducer, Antacids: TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Acid Reducer,

Hreatburn Relief, Sodium bicarbonate(Hreatburn Relief, Sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3) NaHCO3)

Dependent VariablesDependent Variables Percent of change in egg mass after the incubation Percent of change in egg mass after the incubation

periodperiod

DataDataAverage Change in Egg Mass

Distilled Water

Pepsin + Distilled Water

HCl + PepsinHeartburn Relief

Pepto-BismolTUMS

HCl + Distilled Water

NaHCO3

Acid Reducer

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

Contents of Test Tube

Per

cent

of C

hang

e in

Mas

s

DataDataAverage Change in Egg Mass for Antacids

TUMS Pepto-Bismol

Acid Reducer

Heartburn Relief

NaHCO3

HCl + Pepsin-100

-90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

Antacids

Per

cent

of C

hang

e in

Mas

s

Contents of Test Tube PH Level

Distilled Water 6.5

Pepsin + Distilled Water 6

HCl + Distilled Water 1.5

Pepsin + HCl 1.5

TUMS 6

Pepto-Bismol 1.5

Acid Reducer 1.5

Heartburn Relief 1.5

NaHCO33

DataData

DataData 

Antacid T-Test with Pepsin + HCl

TUMS

Pepto-Bismol

Acid Reducer

Heartburn Relief

NaHCO3

0.000110132

0.000107917

0.00499215

0.299909524

0.000124073

Post-incubationPost-incubation

HCl + Distilled Water and Pepsin + Distilled Water Pepsin + HCl and Distilled Water

TUMS and Pepto-Bismol Acid Reducer and Heartburn Relief

NaHCO3

ConclusionConclusion

The hypothesis for this experiment was partly The hypothesis for this experiment was partly supported and partly rejectedsupported and partly rejected TUMS was ineffective in breaking down food protein TUMS was ineffective in breaking down food protein

because it had pH level of 6because it had pH level of 6 Pepto-Bismol was ineffective in breaking down food Pepto-Bismol was ineffective in breaking down food

proteinprotein Acid Reducer only had a mild amount of food Acid Reducer only had a mild amount of food

protein breakdown protein breakdown Heartburn Relief was very effective in food protein Heartburn Relief was very effective in food protein

breakdown breakdown NaHCO3 was ineffective in breaking down food NaHCO3 was ineffective in breaking down food

proteinprotein

ConclusionConclusion

LimitationsLimitations Only tested 5 antacids out of manyOnly tested 5 antacids out of many Some egg mass was lost when the egg was Some egg mass was lost when the egg was

movedmoved Further StudyFurther Study

What are the effects of limited protein What are the effects of limited protein breakdown on the body?breakdown on the body?

Do more acidic food increase pepsin’s ability Do more acidic food increase pepsin’s ability to breakdown food protein? to breakdown food protein?

ReferencesReferences

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