Potassium bitartrate

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Identification

Potassium bitartrate is a laxative used to treat constipation.

Ceo-two, Phexxi Generic Name Potassium bitartrate DrugBank Accession Number DB11107 Background

Potassium bitartate, also referred to as potassium acid tartrate or cream of tartar, is the potassium acid salt of l-( + )-tartaric acid. It is obtained as a byproduct of wine manufacture during the fermentation process. Approved by the FDA as a direct food substance, potassium bitartrate is used as an additive, stabilizer, pH control agent, antimicrobial agent, processing aid, or thickener in various food products 3 . Potassium bitartrate has a long history of medical use as a laxative administered as a rectal suppository and is an approved third-class OTC drug in Japan.

Potassium bitartrate was one of active ingredients in Phexxi, a non-hormonal contraceptive agent that was approved by the FDA on May 2020. 4

Type Small Molecule Groups Experimental Structure

Structure for Potassium bitartrate (DB11107)

Weight Average: 188.176
Monoisotopic: 187.97231937 Chemical Formula C₄H₅KO₆ Synonyms

Potassium bitartrate
potassium hydrogen tartrate

E-336(I)
INS NO.336(I)
INS-336(I)
NSC-155080

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Pharmacology

Indication

Indicated for the treatment of constipation.

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Potassium bitartrate potentiates bowel movements. In medical studies, it was shown to be an effective treatment for chronic constipationwhen combined with sodium bicarbonate in a polyethylene glycol-based suppository 1 .

Mechanism of action

Potassium bitartrate is a carbon dioxide-releasing laxative that works by forming carbon dioxide gas, which creates a mechanical distension against the intestinal wall and induces bowel contractions. Rectal suppositories of carbon dioxide-releasing type of laxative were demonstrated to be useful and safe in the treatment of patients at risk for electrolyte disorders such as the elderly or patients with renal or cardiovascular disorders 2 .

There is little systemic absorption expected following rectal administration of potassium bitartrate.

Volume of distribution

No pharmacokinetic data available.

Route of elimination

No pharmacokinetic data available.

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Lowest published lethal dose in rat via oral route is 22000 mg/kg MSDS . Cases of hyperkalemia have been reported with ingestion of a large quantity of potassium bitartrate 1 .

Pathways Not Available Pharmacogenomic Effects/ADRs

Not Available

Interactions

Drug Interactions

This information should not be interpreted without the help of a healthcare provider. If you believe you are experiencing an interaction, contact a healthcare provider immediately. The absence of an interaction does not necessarily mean no interactions exist.

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interactions in your software Food Interactions Not Available

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Name	Kind	UNII	CAS	InChI Key
Carbon dioxide	unknown	142M471B3J	124-38-9	CURLTUGMZLYLDI-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Mixture Products

Name	Ingredients	Dosage	Route	Labeller	Marketing Start	Marketing End	Region
Ceo-two	Potassium bitartrate (927 mg/3.7g) + Sodium bicarbonate (618 mg/3.7g)	Suppository	Rectal	Beutlich Pharmaceuticals, LLC	2008-08-15	Not applicable	US
Ceo-two Bowel Evacuant Suppositories	Potassium bitartrate (942 mg) + Sodium bicarbonate (627 mg)	Suppository	Rectal	Beutlich L.P.	2000-04-07	2003-07-30	Canada
Lecicarbon - Zäpfchen	Potassium bitartrate (0.9 g) + Sodium bicarbonate (0.54 g)	Suppository	Rectal	C.Brady Gmb H & Co. Kg	1950-02-17	Not applicable	Austria
Phexxi	Potassium bitartrate (20 mg/5g) + Citric acid monohydrate (50 mg/5g) + L-Lactic acid (90 mg/5g)	Gel	Vaginal	Evofem, Inc.	2020-08-01	Not applicable	US

Chemical Identifiers

UNII NPT6P8P3UU CAS number 868-14-4 InChI Key KYKNRZGSIGMXFH-ZVGUSBNCSA-M InChI InChI=1S/C4H6O6.K/c5-1(3(7)8)2(6)4(9)10;/h1-2,5-6H,(H,7,8)(H,9,10);/q;+1/p-1/t1-,2-;/m1./s1 IUPAC Name potassium (2R,3R)-3-carboxy-2,3-dihydroxypropanoate [K+].O[C@H]([C@@H](O)C([O-])=O)C(O)=O

References

Rusyniak DE, Durant PJ, Mowry JB, Johnson JA, Sanftleben JA, Smith JM: Life-threatening hyperkalemia from cream of tartar ingestion. J Med Toxicol. 2013 Mar;9(1):79-81. doi: 10.1007/s13181-012-0255-x. [Article]
Lazzaroni M, Casini V, Bianchi Porro G: Role or carbon dioxide-releasing suppositories in the treatment of chronic functional constipation: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Drug Investig. 2005;25(8):499-505. [Article]
FDA CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 Sec. 184.1077 Potassium acid tartrate [Link]
Drugs.com: Phexxi Approval History [Link]
FDA Approved Drug Products: PHEXXI (lactic acid, citric acid, and potassium bitartrate) vaginal gel [Link]

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Pharmacoeconomics

Manufacturers Not Available Not Available Dosage Forms

Form	Route	Strength
Suppository	Rectal
Tablet	Oral
Gel	Vaginal

Prices Not Available Patents

Patent Number	Pediatric Extension	Approved	Expires (estimated)	Region
US10568855	No	2020-02-25	2033-03-15	US
US6706276	No	2004-03-16	2022-03-06	US
US11337989	No	2013-03-15	2033-03-15	US
US11439610	No	2013-03-15	2033-03-15	US
US11992472	No	2013-03-15	2033-03-15	US

Properties

State Solid Experimental Properties

Property	Value	Source
water solubility	Partially soluble	MSDS

Predicted Properties

Property	Value	Source
Water Solubility	566.0 mg/mL	ALOGPS
logP	-1.4	ALOGPS
logP	-1.8	Chemaxon
logS	0.48	ALOGPS
pKa (Strongest Acidic)	2.72	Chemaxon
pKa (Strongest Basic)	-4.3	Chemaxon
Physiological Charge	-2	Chemaxon
Hydrogen Acceptor Count	6	Chemaxon
Hydrogen Donor Count	3	Chemaxon
Polar Surface Area	117.89 Å 2	Chemaxon
Rotatable Bond Count	3	Chemaxon
Refractivity	37.05 m 3 ·mol -1	Chemaxon
Polarizability	11.26 Å 3	Chemaxon
Number of Rings	0	Chemaxon
Bioavailability	1	Chemaxon
Rule of Five	Yes	Chemaxon
Ghose Filter	No	Chemaxon
Veber's Rule	No	Chemaxon
MDDR-like Rule	No	Chemaxon

Predicted ADMET Features Not Available

Spectra

Mass Spec (NIST) Not Available Spectra

Spectrum	Spectrum Type	Splash Key
Predicted GC-MS Spectrum - GC-MS	Predicted GC-MS	splash10-055f-9100000000-e2aa735e87a327d39de5