Aspirin

1. Functional groups:

i. Carboxylic acid

ii. Ester

2. Uses and misuses:

i. Used to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain

ii. Also used to reduce pain and swelling in conditions such as arthritis

iii. If misused, one may experience:

    ​-Bleeding

    ​-Ulcers

    -Hepatotoxicity

3. Mechanism of action (what effect the compound has and what part of the molecule causes it to have that particular effect):

i. Enzyme cyclooxygenase inhibits the anti-inflammatory effect

4. Side effects of the medication:

i. Rash

ii. Drowsiness

iii. Heartburn

iv. Nausea

5. Historical perspective of each compound (when it was discovered, first used, which groups/countries have used it and whether it is still in used today):

i. Discovered in the 1890s when Felix Hoffman used it to alleviate his father’s rheumatism.

-Then began to distribute a powder with acetylsalicylic acid to physicians to give to patients

ii. Although Aspirin is sold worldwide, it is commonly known to be used in the United States, U.K., and other Western countries.

6. State where the drug derived from or if it was made from a drug or isolated from a plant:

i. Acetylsalicylic acid (active ingredient in Aspirin) is naturally found in willow bark and many other trees

7. Whether or not approved by the FDA:

i. The FDA has approved the first and only 24-hour aspirin formulation.

References:

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1082-3/aspirin-oral/aspirin-oral/details

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14592543

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/12/22/aspirin.history/index.html