The Story of Aspirin Introduction
100 Years of Aspirin
Aspirin Timeline
The Chemistry/Mechanism of Action

of Aspirin
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Products Containing Aspirin
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The Chemistry of Aspirin
Aspirin, one of the first drugs to come into common usage, is still mostly the widely used in the world - approximately 35,000 metric tonnes are produced and consumed annually, enough to make over 100 billion standard aspirin tablets every year.

Aspirin, also known as 'acetylsalicylic acid', has a chemical formula of C9H8O4.

The chemical structure of aspirin:

Aspirin, is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation. It inhibits fatty acid cyclo-oxygenase by acetylation of the active site of enzyme and the pharmacological effects of aspirin are due to the inhibition of the formation of cyclo-oxygenase products including prostglandins, thromboxanes and prostacyclin.

Aspirin is prepared by chemical synthesis from salicylic acid, by acetylation with acetic anhydride.

MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ASPIRIN