Simple linctus
Available from pharmacies, supermarkets, and retail outlets
A key intermediate in metabolism.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Citric acid
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Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Citric acid
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
8 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Citric acid on the MHRA register
Numark Simple linctus
Simple linctus
Simple linctus
Simple linctus
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
2 gram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via NHS dm+d BNF mapping files. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Citric acid
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(2)
Swallowable gastric balloon capsule for weight loss (HTG561)
Peptest for diagnosing gastro‑oesophageal reflux (MIB31)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & product information
Official product databases and supply status monitoring
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. emc (electronic medicines compendium) is operated by Datapharm Ltd. Shortage information sourced from NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service (SPS), sps.nhs.uk.
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
Not available
Mechanism
Not available
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
16 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Citric acid is one of the active ingredients in Phexxi, a non-hormonal contraceptive agent that was approved by the FDA on May 2020.[L14120] It is also used in combination with magnesium oxide to form magnesium citrate, an osmotic laxative.[L43832]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 42 of 42 interactions
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:1936586
Reduces steroids and their derivatives and prostaglandins.
Displays low enzymatic activity toward all-trans-retinal, 9-cis-retinal, and 13-cis-retinal .
PMID:12732097 PMID:19010934 PMID:8343525
Catalyzes the reduction of diverse phospholipid aldehydes such as 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-sn -glycero-3-phosphoethanolamin (POVPC) and related phospholipid aldehydes that are generated from the oxydation of phosphotidylcholine and phosphatdyleethanolamides .
PMID:17381426
Plays a role in detoxifying dietary and lipid-derived unsaturated carbonyls, such as crotonaldehyde, 4-hydroxynonenal, trans-2-hexenal, trans-2,4-hexadienal and their glutathione-conjugates carbonyls (GS-carbonyls) PMID:21329684
PMID:16293632 PMID:18695040 PMID:18826956 PMID:22526352 PMID:23136043 PMID:29899501
Activation by exposure to hypotonicity within the physiological range exhibits an outward rectification .
PMID:18695040 PMID:18826956 PMID:29899501
Also activated by heat, low pH, citrate and phorbol esters .
PMID:16293632 PMID:18695040 PMID:18826956 PMID:20037586 PMID:21964574 PMID:25256292
Increase of intracellular Ca(2+) potentiates currents. Channel activity seems to be regulated by a calmodulin-dependent mechanism with a negative feedback mechanism .
PMID:12724311 PMID:18826956
Promotes cell-cell junction formation in skin keratinocytes and plays an important role in the formation and/or maintenance of functional intercellular barriers (By similarity). Acts as a regulator of intracellular Ca(2+) in synoviocytes .
PMID:19759329
Plays an obligatory role as a molecular component in the nonselective cation channel activation induced by 4-alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate and hypotonic stimulation in synoviocytes and also regulates production of IL-8 .
PMID:19759329
Together with PKD2, forms mechano- and thermosensitive channels in cilium .
PMID:18695040
Negatively regulates expression of PPARGC1A, UCP1, oxidative metabolism and respiration in adipocytes (By similarity).
Regulates expression of chemokines and cytokines related to pro-inflammatory pathway in adipocytes (By similarity). Together with AQP5, controls regulatory volume decrease in salivary epithelial cells (By similarity). Required for normal development and maintenance of bone and cartilage .
PMID:26249260
In its inactive state, may sequester DDX3X at the plasma membrane.
When activated, the interaction between both proteins is affected and DDX3X relocalizes to the nucleus .
PMID:29899501
In neurons of the central nervous system, could play a role in triggering voluntary water intake in response to increased sodium concentration in body fluid (By similarity)
PMID:34234773
Participates in signaling pathways that control a diverse spectrum of biological activities including gene transcription, immune response, cell adhesion, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, migration, and transformation. Due to functional redundancy between members of the SRC kinase family, identification of the specific role of each SRC kinase is very difficult. SRC appears to be one of the primary kinases activated following engagement of receptors and plays a role in the activation of other protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) families.
Receptor clustering or dimerization leads to recruitment of SRC to the receptor complexes where it phosphorylates the tyrosine residues within the receptor cytoplasmic domains. Plays an important role in the regulation of cytoskeletal organization through phosphorylation of specific substrates such as AFAP1. Phosphorylation of AFAP1 allows the SRC SH2 domain to bind AFAP1 and to localize to actin filaments.
Cytoskeletal reorganization is also controlled through the phosphorylation of cortactin (CTTN) (Probable). When cells adhere via focal adhesions to the extracellular matrix, signals are transmitted by integrins into the cell resulting in tyrosine phosphorylation of a number of focal adhesion proteins, including PTK2/FAK1 and paxillin (PXN) .
PMID:21411625
In addition to phosphorylating focal adhesion proteins, SRC is also active at the sites of cell-cell contact adherens junctions and phosphorylates substrates such as beta-catenin (CTNNB1), delta-catenin (CTNND1), and plakoglobin (JUP). Another type of cell-cell junction, the gap junction, is also a target for SRC, which phosphorylates connexin-43 (GJA1).
SRC is implicated in regulation of pre-mRNA-processing and phosphorylates RNA-binding proteins such as KHDRBS1 (Probable). Phosphorylates PKP3 at 'Tyr-195' in response to reactive oxygen species, which may cause the release of PKP3 from desmosome cell junctions into the cytoplasm .
PMID:25501895
Also plays a role in PDGF-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of both STAT1 and STAT3, leading to increased DNA binding activity of these transcription factors (By similarity). Involved in the RAS pathway through phosphorylation of RASA1 and RASGRF1 .
PMID:11389730
Plays a role in EGF-mediated calcium-activated chloride channel activation .
PMID:18586953
Required for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) internalization through phosphorylation of clathrin heavy chain (CLTC and CLTCL1) at 'Tyr-1477'.
Involved in beta-arrestin (ARRB1 and ARRB2) desensitization through phosphorylation and activation of GRK2, leading to beta-arrestin phosphorylation and internalization. Has a critical role in the stimulation of the CDK20/MAPK3 mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade by epidermal growth factor (Probable). Might be involved not only in mediating the transduction of mitogenic signals at the level of the plasma membrane but also in controlling progression through the cell cycle via interaction with regulatory proteins in the nucleus .
PMID:7853507
Plays an important role in osteoclastic bone resorption in conjunction with PTK2B/PYK2.
Both the formation of a SRC-PTK2B/PYK2 complex and SRC kinase activity are necessary for this function. Recruited to activated integrins by PTK2B/PYK2, thereby phosphorylating CBL, which in turn induces the activation and recruitment of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to the cell membrane in a signaling pathway that is critical for osteoclast function .
PMID:14585963 PMID:8755529
Promotes energy production in osteoclasts by activating mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase .
PMID:12615910
Phosphorylates DDR2 on tyrosine residues, thereby promoting its subsequent autophosphorylation .
PMID:16186108
Phosphorylates RUNX3 and COX2 on tyrosine residues, TNK2 on 'Tyr-284' and CBL on 'Tyr-731' .
PMID:20100835 PMID:21309750
Enhances RIGI-elicited antiviral signaling .
PMID:19419966
Phosphorylates PDPK1 at 'Tyr-9', 'Tyr-373' and 'Tyr-376' .
PMID:14585963
Phosphorylates BCAR1 at 'Tyr-128' .
PMID:22710723
Phosphorylates CBLC at multiple tyrosine residues, phosphorylation at 'Tyr-341' activates CBLC E3 activity .
PMID:20525694
Phosphorylates synaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin (SYP) (By similarity). Involved in anchorage-independent cell growth .
PMID:19307596
Required for podosome formation (By similarity).
Mediates IL6 signaling by activating YAP1-NOTCH pathway to induce inflammation-induced epithelial regeneration .
PMID:25731159
Phosphorylates OTUB1, promoting deubiquitination of RPTOR .
PMID:35927303
Phosphorylates caspase CASP8 at 'Tyr-380' which negatively regulates CASP8 processing and activation, down-regulating CASP8 proapoptotic function PMID:16619028
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:10873595 PMID:11159893 PMID:11932330 PMID:12724351 PMID:14610227 PMID:16908597 PMID:18501590 PMID:20507927 PMID:22201122 PMID:23531488 PMID:25132355 PMID:26383540 PMID:27576593 PMID:28408210 PMID:29871943 PMID:34628357
Responsible for the transport of estrone 3-sulfate (E1S) through the basal membrane of syncytiotrophoblast, highlighting a potential role in the placental absorption of fetal-derived sulfated steroids including the steroid hormone precursor dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) .
PMID:11932330 PMID:12409283
Also facilitates the uptake of sulfated steroids at the basal/sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes, therefore accounting for the major part of organic anions clearance of liver .
PMID:11159893
Mediates the intestinal uptake of sulfated steroids .
PMID:12724351 PMID:28408210
Mediates the uptake of the neurosteroids DHEA-S and pregnenolone sulfate (PregS) into the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier as the first step to enter the brain .
PMID:16908597 PMID:25132355
Also plays a role in the reuptake of neuropeptides such as substance P/TAC1 and vasoactive intestinal peptide/VIP released from retinal neurons .
PMID:25132355
May act as a heme transporter that promotes cellular iron availability via heme oxygenase/HMOX2 and independently of TFRC .
PMID:35714613
Also transports heme by-product coproporphyrin III (CPIII), and may be involved in their hepatic disposition .
PMID:26383540
Mediates the uptake of other substrates such as prostaglandins D2 (PGD2), E1 (PGE1) and E2 (PGE2), taurocholate, L-thyroxine, leukotriene C4 and thromboxane B2 (PubMed:10873595, PubMed:14610227, PubMed:19129463, PubMed:29871943, Ref.25). May contribute to regulate the transport of organic compounds in testis across the blood-testis-barrier (Probable). Shows a pH-sensitive substrate specificity which may be ascribed to the protonation state of the binding site and leads to a stimulation of substrate transport in an acidic microenvironment .
PMID:14610227 PMID:19129463 PMID:22201122
The exact transport mechanism has not been yet deciphered but most likely involves an anion exchange, coupling the cellular uptake of organic substrate with the efflux of an anionic compound .
PMID:19129463 PMID:20507927 PMID:26277985
Hydrogencarbonate/HCO3(-) acts as a probable counteranion that exchanges for organic anions .
PMID:19129463
Cytoplasmic glutamate may also act as counteranion in the placenta .
PMID:26277985
An inwardly directed proton gradient has also been proposed as the driving force of E1S uptake with a (H(+):E1S) stoichiometry of (1:1) PMID:20507927
Involved compounds
Involved compounds
ATC A09AB04
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Citric acid
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
10021
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
17610
ChemSpider
305
BindingDB
14672
PDB
CIT
Guide to Pharmacology
2478
ZINC
ZINC000000895081
UniProt Accession
BLAN1_KLEPN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:381
GenAtlas
AKR1B1
GeneCards
AKR1B1
GenBank Gene Database
J04795
GenBank Protein Database
178487
Guide to Pharmacology
2768
UniProt Accession
ALDR_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
U05257
GenBank Protein Database
487434
UniProt Accession
IDH_BACSU
GenBank Gene Database
V00093
GenBank Protein Database
39575
UniProt Accession
BLAC_BACLI
GenBank Gene Database
X13296
GenBank Protein Database
578119
UniProt Accession
CP51_CANAL
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:18083
GeneCards
TRPV4
Guide to Pharmacology
510
UniProt Accession
TRPV4_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
M11189
GenBank Protein Database
142604
UniProt Accession
BLA2_BACCE
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2422
GeneCards
CS
UniProt Accession
CISY_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:11283
GenAtlas
SRC
GeneCards
SRC
GenBank Gene Database
AL133293
GenBank Protein Database
10635153
Guide to Pharmacology
2206
UniProt Accession
SRC_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10044
GenAtlas
RNASE1
GeneCards
RNASE1
GenBank Gene Database
D26129
UniProt Accession
RNAS1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10046
GenAtlas
RNASE3
GeneCards
RNASE3
GenBank Gene Database
X15161
GenBank Protein Database
31077
UniProt Accession
ECP_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
X04065
GenBank Protein Database
41513
UniProt Accession
FUMC_ECOLI
GenBank Gene Database
AE000512
GenBank Protein Database
4981702
UniProt Accession
6PGL_THEMA
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:19094
GeneCards
IL4I1
UniProt Accession
OXLA_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:21614
GeneCards
CTDSP1
UniProt Accession
CTDS1_HUMAN
UniProt Accession
P83787_MARNT
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4897
GeneCards
HGS
UniProt Accession
HGS_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
M17448
UniProt Accession
INVA_YERPS
GenBank Gene Database
M12742
UniProt Accession
TEV1_BPT4
GenBank Gene Database
X06792
UniProt Accession
FIB12_BPT4
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6971
GenAtlas
MDH2
GeneCards
MDH2
GenBank Gene Database
AF047470
GenBank Protein Database
2906146
UniProt Accession
MDHM_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
DQ059549
UniProt Accession
Q2QJL3_ACEAC
GenBank Gene Database
Z21677
UniProt Accession
RL4_THEMA
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2299
GenAtlas
CPB1
GeneCards
CPB1
GenBank Gene Database
M81057
Guide to Pharmacology
1593
UniProt Accession
CBPB1_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
J01917
UniProt Accession
CAPSH_ADE02
GenBank Gene Database
AE000512
UniProt Accession
Q9WZW1_THEMA
GenBank Gene Database
AJ001073
UniProt Accession
BFRA_THEMA
GenBank Gene Database
AE009952
UniProt Accession
A0A2U2GZL1_YERPE
GenBank Gene Database
AB040146
UniProt Accession
Q9LCX9_THETH
GenBank Gene Database
U00096
UniProt Accession
RTCA_ECOLI
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:17017
GeneCards
LSM6
UniProt Accession
LSM6_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:14335
GenAtlas
PLEKHA1
GeneCards
PLEKHA1
GenBank Gene Database
AF286160
UniProt Accession
PKHA1_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
M33815
UniProt Accession
FBPA_SERMA
GenBank Gene Database
AE000512
UniProt Accession
Q9WZ40_THEMA
GenBank Gene Database
AE005674
UniProt Accession
NADD_SHIFL
GenBank Gene Database
AE000512
UniProt Accession
NUSB_THEMA
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:1354
GenAtlas
C8G
GeneCards
C8G
GenBank Gene Database
M17263
UniProt Accession
CO8G_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
AL583923
UniProt Accession
RIR2_MYCLE
UniProt Accession
GLN1B_MYCTU
UniProt Accession
GLN1B_MYCTO
GenBank Gene Database
U85944
UniProt Accession
PRPC_ABDS2
GenBank Gene Database
AB034727
UniProt Accession
PGFS_TRYBB
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:626
GenAtlas
APRT
GeneCards
APRT
GenBank Gene Database
Y00486
GenBank Protein Database
28819
UniProt Accession
APT_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
AE004091
UniProt Accession
Q9HU22_PSEAE
GenBank Gene Database
AE016877
UniProt Accession
Q81F54_BACCR
GenBank Gene Database
U50134
UniProt Accession
PURNU_ECOLI
GenBank Gene Database
L42023
UniProt Accession
RPIA_HAEIN
GenBank Gene Database
M10101
UniProt Accession
GUAA_ECOLI
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6176
GeneCards
ITPA
UniProt Accession
ITPA_HUMAN
GenBank Gene Database
X87673
UniProt Accession
ENLYS_BPP1
GenBank Gene Database
AE000512
UniProt Accession
Q9X1F0_THEMA
GenBank Gene Database
L17082
UniProt Accession
PCAB_PSEPU
GenBank Gene Database
M15368
UniProt Accession
PDC_ZYMMO
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10962
GenAtlas
SLCO2B1
GeneCards
SLCO2B1
GenBank Gene Database
AB026256
GenBank Protein Database
5006263
Guide to Pharmacology
1224
UniProt Accession
SO2B1_HUMAN
Patent information
10 active patents, 1 expired
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications: