What do willow tree bark extract, oil of wintergreen, and aspirin have
in common? What these compounds have in common is their anti-inflammatory
properties and they are some of the oldest and most frequently used drugs.
The study of the chemistry of medicinal plants began in the 1800s. Why
would it have been difficult to identify the active ingredients in those
plants? Chemical techniques of the day were relatively simple. In the bark
of the willow tree, there would be hundreds of different compounds.
Separating them from one another and identifying their effects in the body
would have been very difficult with the limited knowledge and techniques.
What were some of the drawbacks to salicylic acid as a pain reliever?
Salicylic acid is very irritating to the stomach. It can cause severe
heartburn.
Felix Hoffman, who worked for the Bayer Company, invented aspirin in
1899. How did he make it? By reacting acetic acid with salicylic acid to
produce acetylsalicylic acid.
What are some of the benefits of aspirin? It relieves fever, pain, and
inflammation, prevents some types of heart attacks, and inhibits clotting.
How does aspirin work? Aspirin stops the production of hormone-like
compounds called prostaglandins. Aspirin interferes with the action on
cyclooxygenase, which is the enzyme at the beginning of prostaglandin
synthesis.
What are some strategies for reducing stomach irritation caused by
aspirin? Buffered aspirin is a combination of aspirin with some other
compounds to reduce acidity. Enteric aspirin is coated with a substance that
allows the pill to pass through the stomach without being dissolved, thereby
eliminating stomach irritation.
What are some other medical discoveries that have been found as a result
of our understanding of how aspirin works? A specific prostaglandin that
promotes coagulation of blood and another that inhibits it have been
identified. A new group of prostaglandins that are related to the
inflammation of asthma has also been discovered.