Willow Bark Research

3.0g of salicylic acid was weighed then 3.0mL of acetic anhydride and 6 drops of 85% H3PO4 were added to it. The mixture was warmed over a water bath for 5 minutes while stirring. After warming, 20 drops of distilled water was slowly added. 15mL of water was added then the solution was heated until it became clear. It was allowed to cool and was placed in an ice bath until the solution becomes cloudy. Using pre-weighed filter paper, the mixture was filtered and was allowed to dry in the filter paper.

The production of aspirin begins salicylic acid which has been derived from the active site of salicin found in willow bark. This is done through multi-step process where substrates of salicin are converted into more basic products such as salicylic acid. Salicylic acid cannot be consumed by itself due to the fact that it is bitter and irritates the stomach causing side effects such as nausea and internal bleeding within the stomach. This is due to the fact that salicylic acid exists in protonated form in the stomach; therefore, the pH of the salicylic acid is low, thus affecting the lining of the stomach. Therefore, to stabilise salicylic acid, it is synthesized into acetylsalicylic acid also known as aspirin. Acetylsalicylic acid is not pronated in the stomach and thus, the pH of acetylsalicylic acid is not as low compared to salicylic acid, thus it does not affect the lining of the stomach as much compared to salicylic acid.

The earliest known use of aspirin was found in the bark of willow trees, in powder form. According to an article “ Aspirin was first produced 110 years ago, but the natural form, salicylic acid, found in plants ( i.e. the willow and myrtle) has been used for thousands of years.”(Aspirin in the Ancient World) Aspirin in this form was mostly used in the ancient world to reduce pain and fevers. During the Victorian era, the natural form of aspirin was associated with an awful taste and often induced upset stomachs and vomiting. Due to this finding, in 1853 a scientist named, Charles Frederic Gerhardt, was able to add an acetyl group to the natural from of salicylic acid. However, this form was said to be unstable. (A Victorian Era Discovery)

Enteric coating is made up of many tightly bound cellulose fibres. This coating is designed to be pH dependant and prevents dissolution or release of the drug. This is to prevent it interacting with the body at those regions especially the stomach. Aspirin is particularly harmful to the stomach because of the impact it has on prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins have numerous functions one of which is a process called cytoprotection. (10) Cytoprotection reduces HCL production from the parietal cells and stimulate alkaline mucus production needed for neutralisation, which are necessary to protect the mucosa from damage caused by gastric juices and acids. Furthermore, prostaglandin help dilates vessels to increase the volume of blood flow to the stomach, in turn increasing rate of repair and renewal of cells and as importantly carrying away acids from the stomach which can damage the mucosa lining (11). Therefore, by preventing prostaglandin production, the gastric acids can continue to attack the mucosa lining and this can lead to excessive bleeding enhanced by the anti-platelet properties of aspirin which further prevent clotting or even form ulcers. Problems with a bleeding

Today, meta-study was published. A company or researchers in Britain to publish them. They said that the use of aspirin daily for five years reduces the risk of cancer, the cause of death. These

Although there is no record to establish when plants were first used for medicinal purposes, the use of plants as healing agents as well as clays and soils is ancient. Dioscourides, a Greek physician of the Roman army, prescribed extracts of willow bark for joint pain. First, willow bark was confirmed to be effective, and then the natural ester of salicylic acid (salicin) was isolated as the willow’s active ingredient by Johannes Buchner in Germany (Rainsford,1984). It was then derivatized by Rafaela Pirea to yield salicylic acid, and later (1899) by the Bayer company, to yield acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin.

Based on the results of the tests and computations, the experiment did not go completely as what the experimenters want. The crude aspirin obtained was 67% while the percent recovery of the recrystallized aspirin was 50%. It can be concluded that by recrystallizing the crude aspirin, the percent yield decreases. The percent yield was below average and the recrystallized sample was not pure based on the tests that showed positive results of the product being contaminated with salicylic acid. When the product was reacted with ferric chloride, it gave dirty pink complex with undissolved precipitate and in Baeyer’s test, it showed disappearance of the purple complex and formation of brown precipitate after heating, both of which indicates that

According to Nordqvist,Medicalnewstoday,(2015); Aspirin is a still till this day a very well known and popularly used medication in the world. As an over the counter or (OTC) product since 1915. Aspirin was discovered in 1763 by Edward Stone, he had been documenting his symptoms his been having such as fever, pain, chills, and fatigue when he had discovered Salicylic Acid which is the main reactant in Aspirin. As the years passed many other Salicylate Medicines have been discovered such as Salicin and Sodium Salicylic acids. Many forms of aspirin were created such as capsules and chewable gummies.

The percent yield of aspirin was approximately 60 percent; however, this amount may slightly fluctuate if the unknown amount that was wasted after accumulating the salicylic acid was taken into account. Complications arose the coffee paper filter began to crumble as the crude aspirin was transferred of crude aspirin to the Erlenmeyer flask. Therefore, all the aspirin was not transferred to the flask because bits of filter paper would have deposited in the flask as well. It was difficult to determine the exact time each sample started to melt, because more than one capillary was in the Mel-Temp at one given time. During the FeCl3 test the color of the commercial aspirin were so close, it was hard to tell if there was actually a difference in the color of the two.

Aspirin is on of the first drugs to ever be commonly used and is still one of the most widely used in the world. How widely used you ask? Approximately 35000 metric tonnes are produced and consumed every year. Chemically aspirin is known as acetylsalicylic acid with the chemical formula of C9H8O4.

Aspirin was a chemical substance that was created in 1899, by a scientist who worked in the Bayer company of Germany. But before the actual "Aspirin" that we have now was created; thousands of years ago, doctors of Native American tribes, actual Indians, Ancient Greeks, and even Ancient Egyptians used the bark and leaves from willow trees to relieve aches and pains. Later on 3 scientist, Brungnatelli, Fontana, and Johann Buchner, discovered that the Willow tree contained salicin, a naturally occurring flammatory substance. Then a key composition was added to the list of ingredients over a 100 years ago when something called acetylsalicylic acid, was founded. In the 1970 's researchers learned that a chemical substance named prostaglandins, was found in Aspirin, this substance is connected to the pain

In this experiment, aspirin will be synthesized from salicylic acid using acetic anhydride. The sodium salt was initially prescribed for its antipyretic and analgesic effects, but the salt was too irritating to the stomach, so a phenyl ester version was developed as a replacement. The esterified version passed successfully through the acidic stomach without irritation. It was hydrolyzed in the basic environment of the intestines, producing poisonous phenol. To avoid this problem, acetylsalicylic acid, where an ether is instead formed by the reaction of the alcohol group of salicylic acid with acetic acid, is used now. Acetylsalicylic acid, better known

The term salicylate refers to any of a group of chemicals that are derived from salicylic acid. The best known is acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin). Acetylsalicylic acid is metabolized to salicylic acid (salicylate) after ingestion. Salicylates are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAI) agents commonly used for their analgesic and antipyretic properties. They act on the cyclooxygenase enzymes to impair peripheral and central prostaglandin biosynthesis. (1)

Willow Tree Willow tree watch you shiver and shake, With the wind you will quake, Blowing high, blowing low, Even blowing in the snow, Willow tree, willow tree will you ever perish, Willow tree watch you shiver and shake, Through the rain through the storm, You will keep me safe from harm, On your branches in my nest, Safely, safely I will rest, Willow tree watch you shiver and shake, The rain will drop the thunder will roar,

It is derived from the bark of the willow tree, and its activity is produced from chemicals called salicylates. 2"Charles Gerhardt a French chemist first synthesized the acetyl derivative from the salicylic acid in 1853 developing the first type of aspirin," but Felix Hoffman a German chemist was the first to realize its medical value in 1893. Over a long period of constant use aspirin can cause iron deficiency, gastric ulcers, kidney damage and if given to children having chicken pox or influenza could cause the risk of contracting the fatal brain disease known as Reye's syndrome. Usage of Aspirin varies.