The Effects of Antacids on Pepsin Madeleine Finkenaur The Academy of Notre Dame

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

Background Information Food proteins are vital to the body and are broken down in the stomach by pepsin Pepsin, a proteolytic enzyme in the stomach, requires a pH level of 1-3 This acidity is obtained by hydrochloric acid(HCl), which is secreted by the stomach Antacids lower the acidity level of the stomach, making it difficult for food protein breakdown to occur

Hypothesis The antacids will slightly hinder the food protein breakdown process in the stomach.

Materials 1 ml of Pepsin Distilled water Single dose of Pepto-Bismol Single dose of Acid Reducer 650 mg of NaHCO3 7 150 ml beakers electronic pH probe stirring batton mortar and pestle 10 ml Graduated cylinder incubator at 37C .1 Molar HCl Single dose of Heartburn Relief Single dose of TUMS 27 test tubes and holders 27 small hard-boiled egg pieces pH strips scale pipets chemical spoon 100 ml Graduated cylinder

Procedure Make a 1% pepsin solution with 99mL of distilled water in a 150mL beaker Make a 1% hydrochloric acid solution with 99mL of distilled water in a 150mL beaker Take four test tubes and add 5mL of the pepsin solution and 5mL of distilled water in one, 5mL of the hydrochloric acid solution and 5mL of distilled water in another, 5mL of the pepsin solution and 5mL of the hydrochloric acid solution in the third test tube, and 10mL of distilled water in the last one Crush a single dose of each antacid (TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Acid Reducer, Heartburn Relief, and NaHCO3) separately with a mortar and pestle. Add each antacid to a 150mL beaker with 100mL of hydrochloric acid

Procedure Take five more test tubes and fill each one with 5mL of the 1% pepsin solution Add 5mL of every one of the five antacid solutions to the five test tubes with the pepsin solution separately Record the pH level of every test tube Cut a small piece of hard-boiled egg for each test tubes and record the mass of each egg piece Add the egg to every test tube and cover all the test tubes Store all the test tubes in an incubator at 37C for 48 hours Uncap all the test tubes after 48 hours and weigh the hard-boiled egg slices from each test tube and record Repeat this procedure for three trials

Controls and Variables Pepsin + Distilled Water, HCl + Distilled Water, Distilled Water, Pepsin + HCl Independent Variable Antacids: TUMS, Pepto-Bismol, Acid Reducer, Hreatburn Relief, Sodium bicarbonate(NaHCO3) Dependent Variables Percent of change in egg mass after the incubation period

Data

Data

Data Contents of Test Tube PH Level Distilled Water 6.5 Pepsin + Distilled Water 6 HCl + Distilled Water 1.5 Pepsin + HCl TUMS Pepto-Bismol Acid Reducer Heartburn Relief NaHCO3 3

Data Antacid T-Test with Pepsin + HCl TUMS Pepto-Bismol Acid Reducer   Antacid T-Test with Pepsin + HCl TUMS Pepto-Bismol Acid Reducer Heartburn Relief NaHCO3 0.000107917 0.000110132 0.00499215 0.299909524 0.000124073

Post-incubation HCl + Distilled Water and Pepsin + Distilled Water Pepsin + HCl and Distilled Water NaHCO3 Acid Reducer and Heartburn Relief TUMS and Pepto-Bismol

Conclusion The hypothesis for this experiment was partly supported and partly rejected TUMS was ineffective in breaking down food protein because it had pH level of 6 Pepto-Bismol was ineffective in breaking down food protein Acid Reducer only had a mild amount of food protein breakdown Heartburn Relief was very effective in food protein breakdown NaHCO3 was ineffective in breaking down food protein

Conclusion Limitations Further Study Only tested 5 antacids out of many Some egg mass was lost when the egg was moved Further Study What are the effects of limited protein breakdown on the body? Do more acidic food increase pepsin’s ability to breakdown food protein?

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