Figure 1.
Aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, is a common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which is used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain. It is a derivative of salicin, the active ingredient of willow bark, which was isolated in 1829. Willow bark was used as a natural remedy for pain and fever since before Hippocrates in 400BC.
Acetylsalicylic acid was synthesized from salicin in 1853, although the drug was not used clinically until 1899, when it was found to be effective in the treatment of arthritis. Salicin can be converted to salicyl alcohol by hydrolysis, which can then be oxidized to give salicylic acid. Acetylsalicylic acid is then obtained by the conversion of the -OH group into an acetate ester.
Figure 1.
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