Synthesis of Aspirin derivatives
Aspirin is prepared by chemical synthesis from salicylic acid, through acetylation with acetic anhydride. The molecular weight of aspirin is 180.16g/mol. It is odourless, colourless to white crystals or crystalline powder. Aspirin is an oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and the small intestine. It is a non-selective NSAID as it irreversibly inhibits both cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes involved in converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and thromboxane 3 . Prostaglandins are found throughout the body and are made to help manage injury or infection. Prostaglandins upregulate the sensitivity of pain receptors. As a control mechanism, they act locally at the site of synthesis which limits the extent of their activity. They are also broken down rapidly by the body. The enzymes that produce prostaglandins are cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), they have diverse roles and are wid...
