Alginic acid is a natural polymer carboxylic acid, which can combine with metal ions to form various alginates.

In addition to alginic acid, commercially available alginic acid derivatives are water-soluble alginates, including sodium alginate, potassium alginate, ammonium alginate, calcium alginate, propylene glycol alginate and so on.

In medical treatment, the most commonly used alginate is sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is the main component of acid reflux stomach medicine.

The main principle of acid reflux gastric drugs in diseases treatment is that the drugs can combine with gastric acid and form a floating gel, so it can prevent gastric acid surges from burning the upper digestive tract. Sodium alginate reacts with calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and hydrochloric acid (gastric acid) to form calcium alginate (gel).

In such drugs, the specifications of sodium alginate used are generally 100-300mpa.s or 300-700mpa.s 10% (sol.). The forms of medicine are compressed tablets and milky white liquid.

In addition, after dissolving, calcified, drying and cutting the sodium alginate, it can be used as a medical excipient.

Sodium alginate can also be used to make capsule shells to protect the drugs in the capsules from gastric acid erosion, so as to achieve better therapeutic effects.