Ferric ammonium citrate formula is a yellowish-brown to red solid with a faint odour of ammonia, which is soluble in water. This can be hazardous to the environment. It should be used in the limit to prevent spread to the environment. It is used in medicines to make blueprints and as a feed additive.
Scientifically, the ferric ammonium citrate formula is made up of its component compounds iron, ammonia, and citric acid. Its IUPAC name is defined as Azane, 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid; iron (3+). This exists in two forms, namely brown hydrated form in a garnet-red or brownish-yellow solid and green hydrated form, which is a green deliquescent solid.
Brown form
Reddish-brown granules, garnet-red transparent scales, or brownish-yellow powder is very delicious and odourless. This comes along with a slight ammonia odour and saline, ferruginous taste. Ammonium ferric citrate brown form gets reduced to ferrous salt by light. Brown hydrated form is highly soluble in water and practically insoluble in water.
Green form
It is a transparent green granule that also comes in many other forms like scales, pearls, and powder. This form is odourless and mildly ferruginous in taste. The green form of the ferric ammonium citrate formula is more easily reduced to the ferrous salt by light than the brown form. It is also highly soluble in water and practically insoluble in alcohol.
Therapeutic uses:
Ferric ammonium citrate formula is a source of iron that is used in treating anaemia caused by iron deficiency. It is free from astringent and irritant properties. Ferric ion is less well absorbed than ferrous ion, so its advantages are supposed to be outweighed by its lesser efficacy, which shall be considered an obsolete preparation. Products that are available in the market are recommended, such as a unit dose of iron (15mg) for daily intake.
FDA Requirements:
Ferric ammonium citrate formula can be safely used along with pyrogallol for colouring plain and chromic catgut sutures for general use and ophthalmic surgery.
This can be subject to certain following conditions:
The level of the ferric ammonium citrate pyrogallol complex formula shall not exceed 3% of the total weight of the suture material.
The sutures are purpose specified that is mentioned in their labelling; in this scenario, there is no migration of the colour additive to the surrounding tissue.
In case of an approved new drug application, or if the suture is a new drug, it is pursuant to section 505 of the act to be in effect.
Ferric ammonium citrate formula might be safely used in food with certain prescribed conditions as follows:
Green ferric ammonium citrate must be used as an additive.
The additive that is used is intended to be used as an anticaking agent in salt for human consumption. This helps in checking the level of iron ammonium citrate that does not exceed the limit of 25 parts per million (0.0025 percent) in the final salt product.
Ecotoxicity:
In a study, the distribution of radioiron to various tissues was examined after the intraperitoneal injection was introduced in Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout. Research and studies have found that the liver and spleen are the major storage tissues of iron. Soon after the introduction of the ferric ammonium citrate formula in the form of 1 or 5 mg iron, it led to a fall in levels of haemoglobin in both species within two days.
The haemoglobin level returned to its normal level after eight days in the species of rainbow trout. However, in Atlantic salmon, the haemoglobin level decreased below 3g/100 ml. This suggests that in both species, the fall in Hb was associated with a rise in levels of iron in the spleen and liver that caused damage to the erythrocytes. A two- to threefold increase in liver ferritin is shown in Atlantic salmon, whereas a rapid response and six-fold increase were shown in the species of rainbow trout.
Conclusion
Ferric ammonium citrate formula offers good bioavailability of iron. West Bengal Chemical Industries Limited (WBCIL) manufactures Ferric Ammonium Citrate that is available in different grades that includes BP, USP,IP and BPC. This is an advantage for improving patient compliance.