Salicin from Willow Bark.Willow Bark Extract.Salicin
Article Content:
- .Botanical Data of white willow Bark.
- .History and property of uses about wihte willow.
- .Scientific Support:White Willow Bark and Salicin:How white willow works?
- .Who need White Willow Bark and Salicin and what are symptoms of deficiency?
- .White Willow Bark and Salicin:How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?
- .Preparation of white willow bark.
- .Safety Factory and Toxicity.
- .Uses of White Willow Bark.
- .Suggestions and Administration.
- .How Search engine think about White Willow and Salicin.
- .Research of Salicin,white Willow Bark.
History and property of uses about wihte willow.
White willow bark is the original source of salicin, a weaker forerunner of aspirin. Through the ages, long before the discovery of its constituent salicin, white willow bark was used to combat many painful conditions, including rheumatism, headache, neuralgia, arthritis, gout, and angina.
White willow bark is mentioned in ancient Egyptian, Assyrian, and Greek manuscripts, and was used to treat pain and fever by ancient physicians Galen, Hippocrates, and Dioscorides. Native American Indians used it for headaches, fever, sore muscles, rheumatism, and chills. In the mid-1700's, it was used to treat malaria.
Extracts of the bark were first tested between 1821 and 1829, during which time salicin was isolated and identified, but it wasn't until 1874 it was conclusively shown to reduce the aches and soreness of rheumatism. In 1838, salicylic acid was derived from salicin; this product was demonstrated effective against rheumatic fever.
Independent studies later produced acetylsalicylic acid from salicylic acid. This new product, aspirin, was subsequently proven effective against general pain, as well as the pain of rheumatism, gout, and neuralgia. Other derivatives of salicylic acid have likewise been proven effective.
Salicin, the original component of white willow bark, is converted to salicylic acid within the body. The concentration of salicin in the bark is small, but effective, at least for certain individuals and certain conditions. Used in its raw form, the bark yields other decomposition products of salicin that may enhance the analgesic, antipyretic, disinfectant, and antiseptic properties of white willow bark.
Scene One:
The year is 1614; the place is now eastern Massachusetts. Four members of the Wampanoag tribe have developed high fevers. The shaman ventures out into the forest, where he carefully collects some leaves, roots, and bark from a willow tree. He returns home, grinds up the plant material, and brews it in water. The patients drink the hot herbal tea, and bathe in a cooled solution of the ground bark. Within hours, the fevers are lower, and the sick people are resting comfortably.
Scene Two:
The year is 1846; the place is London, England. On the day of the Prince's annual ball, the Grand Duchess is suffering from severe arthritic joint pain. She sends for her doctor, and is given oil of wintergreen to swallow. In a short time the inflammation in her joints lessens, and she can move without pain. The duchess attends the ball, and fulfills her social obligations.
Scene Three:
The year is 1999. A high school student, diligently studying for an exam, develops a headache after several hours of intense concentration. She goes to the medicine cabinet, takes out a bottle marked "aspirin", and swallows two pills with a glass of water. In less than an hour, her headache is gone.
Taking medicine to relieve pain, fever, and inflammation is a ritual that has been repeated through most of recorded history. Willow tree bark extract, oil of wintergreen, and aspirin are similar in molecular structure and metabolic effect. All three belong to a group of chemicals called salicylates, and are some of the oldest and most frequently used drugs. Willow trees contain salicin, oil of wintergreen is methyl salicylate, and aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid
Salicylates have been used as painkillers since ancient times. salicin can be extracted from the bark of willow trees, and methyl salicylate is found in wintergreen plants or teaberry. Aspirin was first prepared by the acetylation of salicylic acid.
Painful Discoveries:
Many cultures have a history of herbal medicine. Studying the chemistry of medicinal plants, however, began in the 1800s. Imagine the difficulties the early chemists faced! Identifying the active ingredient in a mound of willow tree bark was a formidable task. From the hundreds of chemicals contained in the bark, it was nearly impossible to purify the single chemical capable of relieving pain and fever.
In 1859 German chemist Hermann Kolbe synthesized salicylic acid in his laboratory by heating phenol with carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, salicylic acid is irritating to the stomach so much so that many patients preferred their aches and fever to the severe heartburn caused by the remedy. So the search was on for a chemical that was similar to salicylic acid but without the side effects.
In 1899, another German named Felix Hoffman suggested acetylsalicylic acid as a good alternative to salicylic acid. He had been searching for a drug that would give his elderly father relief from arthritis, and he stumbled upon acetylsalicylic acid after trying phenyl salicylate and sodium salicylate without success. The new drug was named aspirin. Hoffman was an employee of the Bayer Company, which marketed the new remedy with great success. Today, Americans swallow nearly 50 million tablets a day.
Aspirin can be made by reacting acetic acid with salicylic acid to produce acetylsalicylic acid, the same procedure used by Dr. Hoffman nearly a century ago. When acetylsalicylic acid ages, it may decompose and return to salicylic acid and acetic acid. If you have an old bottle of aspirin around the house, open it and take a sniff. It may smell like vinegar, because vinegar is dilute acetic acid.
Reference:
1.Salicin from Willow Bark.Willow Bark Extract.Salicin
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