Products
Sodium edetate is present in many drugs as an excipient, especially in liquid and semisolid dosage forms.
Structure and properties
Sodium edetate (C10H14N2Na2O8 – H2O, Mr = 372.2 g/mol) exists as a white crystalline powder and is soluble in water. It is the disodium salt of EDTA, the edetic acid.
Effects
Sodium edetate has complexing, preservative, clarifying, stabilizing, and anticoagulant properties. It forms stable complexes with various metals, for example, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Thus, among other things, it inhibits their catalytic activity as well as the proliferation of bacteria, which depend on them.
Fields of application
As a complexing agent and stabilizer for the production of pharmaceuticals.
