Production and Chemical Quality Assessment of Aspirin
CHAPTER ONE
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of embarking on this study is to know how aspirin a derivative of salicylic acid can be produced in the laboratory. And how it can be produced in a high quality that can be used in Pharmaceutical preparations.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Many people are curious about who invested aspirin. While no one person invested it. The origin of aspirin came about through research. For more than hundred years ago, aspirin has been used as a pain reliever for headache as end. Aspirin was defined as a Weak acid with a p.k.a. of 3.5 (Nelson and M. Cox 1985). Edward Stone 1983, presented a paper to the Royal Society entitled “an Account of the Willow in the fever”. He noted that bark of the Willow tree salic alba was effective against fever, aches, and pains. Glucose was extracted from the willow tree, which was called salicin. The salicin was hydrolysed to yield an alcohol and glucose. Oxidation of this alcohol produces salicylic acid. German Scientist, called Thorese in the year 1899, carried out the glucose extraction.
More recently, aspirin has been wildly studies in terms of both preventing cardiovascular disease and managing the condition of people who have already had heart disease or the history of heart attack. Lawrence and Black (1998) in “The Medicine you take” said that aspirin is regarded as a safe and useful drug that is taken in enormous qualities. It can have effect at therapeutic doses, which through uncommon results in substantial amount of serious illness even fatal.
It was also noted in U. K. that about 4.5 million people take aspirin at least once a week and about half of an million take more than five aspirin tablets per day. Felix Hoffman of Bayer in Germany chemically synthesized a stable form of Acetyl Salisylic acid (A.S.A.) powder that relieves his father’s rheumatism in 1897. The compound later become the active ingredient in aspirin and it was named as follows:
“A” from acetyl, “Spir” from the Spiren plant (which yield salicin) and “in” a common suffix for medications.
History recoded that aspirin was introduced in a powdered form to the physicians and later it was introduced in water-soluble tablets. And it was the first medication to be sold in that form in the year 1900. Bayer and his company made aspirin to be available in tablet form but without prescription from 1915 to 1920. And the tablets was used to treat symptoms of pains related rheumatism lumbago and Neuralgia. In the year 1948, Lawrence Craven noted that the four hundred people he treated with aspirin has not suffered heart attack for many years now, (Lawrence Black, et al, 1998). He regularly recommends to all the patients and colleagues that “an aspirin a day could dramatically reduce the risk of heart attack”. The children’s chewable aspirin was also introduced in 1952, and in 1961, aspirin was included in the self-medication kits taken to the moon by the Apollo Astronants. Medical world began to understand how aspirin works in the early 1970’s, when scientists discovered that it inhibit the production of a chemical called prostaglandin that is involved in the inflammations.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHOD
APPARATUS
- Bunsen Bumer
- 400ml Beaker
- Flat bottom flask
- Water bath
- Tripod Stand
- 4 Bigger beakers
- Measuring cylinder 100ml
- Filter Paper
- Funnel and Two Connical flasks
- Stirring rod
- Flat-Tripped Spatula
- 50ml Burret
- Reflux Condenser
REAGENTS
- Acetic anhydride
- Salicylic acid
- Conc. Sulphuric acid
- Ice
METHODOLOGY
Set up a Bunsen burner, the top of the burner should be about 12cm below the tripod stand. Place a 400ml beaker half filled with water, heat the water to boiling and allow it to keep boiling as you go to the next step.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
The mass of the aspirin produced (the yield) was found and was compared with the theoretical maximum yield that it should be:
Total yield = 8.8g
Maximum yield = 28.4g
Percentage yield = 31%
For a product to be used as a pharmaceutical, it has to be extremely pure. Unfortunately, the product that was obtained was still impure because it had to be recrystalized by dissolving it in the maximum amount of boiling water and allowing the solution to cool. As it did, beautiful crystal appeared. The impurities were left behind in the solution. It was filtered off and dried as before, the crystal looked very fluggy but when it was looked at through a magnifying glass, they look like needles. A dry small sample was placed in the thin glass tube called capillary tube, which was then put in melting point device. The melting point was 129oC and it was compared with the melting point given in the text, which was 138oC.
It was amazing at how low the value was. Some product was lost due to side reaction and some was lost during the recrystallization process.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
Aspirin has been known as the “Miracle drug” for its pain relieving properties, when researchers discovered in the early seventies that it also offers many benefits to heart patients. Research conducted over three decades has found that aspirin prevents first and second heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events in people, with cardiovascular disease (e.g. cononany artery disease or high blood pressure). For healthy people, the potential cardiovascular benefits of a daily aspirin have yet to be determined. In people with cardiovascular disease, researchers have found that aspirin prevents the formation of potentially dangerous blood clots, which can block an artery or break off and become an embolism.
Aspirin also appears to have anti-inflammatory properties, which studies have linked to “heartening of the arteries” (artheros clarosis). By reducing inflammation, aspirin appears to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, aspirin may be helpful in protecting people from strokes and mini-strokes (transient Ischemic attacks), caused by blockages in the blood vessels of the brain. For healthy people, the potential cardiovascular benefits of a daily aspirin have yet to be determined. Aspirin is not for every one, and the misuse of aspirin and other over the counter pain relieving. Medication is a growing problem, with more than 100,000 people hospitalized every year. People are encouraged to speak with their physicians about whether aspirin would be helpful for them and if so, what dosage the physician feels is appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION
Aspirin is recommended as a miracle drug for its pain relieving properties when researchers discovered in the early seventies that it also offers many benefits to heart patients. Experts recommend chewing aspirin rather than swallowing a tablet whole to achieve a fast effect. Aspirin should also be recommended for all men and women whose 10 years risk of a first coronary event are 10 percent or greater. It also recommends that aspirin can be taken orally in tablets or capsules with an enteric coating, which is gentler to the stomach.
This is hereby achieved by taking aspirin after meal. Evidence is mounting that regular aspirin usage may also reduce the risk of many today’s commonest cancers. Because aspirin works by reducing the sensitivity of the central nervous system, it is therefore recommended to people that are having pain related to that to take aspirin a day each for relieve.
Aspirin is not recommended in children because of its association with condition callers, Reye’s syndrome, although a link between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome has not been firmly established. Many countries around the world do restrict its use to individuals over 12 or in some instances 16 years. For pregnant women, many medicines are not suitable to take during pregnancy, although it may be heard that aspirin was sometimes recommended for some pregnant women who has a condition called pregnant women who has a condition called preeclampsia, however in this situation it is always prescribed by a doctor and if you are pregnant, you should always consult a doctor before taking aspirin.
It is hereby recommend that aspirin should not take the place of medication or other treatments prescribed by a physician. People are encouraged to speak with their physicians about whether aspirin would be helpful for them and if so, what dosage the physicians feel is appropriate.
REFERENCES
- BLOCK, L. H. (2005): Medicated Applications. 19th Edition Remington’s Publishers, Chapter 90, pg. 1591 – 1595.
- CARET, R. L., DENNISON AND TOPPING, J. J (1997): Principle and Application of Inorganic, Organic and Biological Chemistry. USA Publishers, pg. 385 – 387F.
- LAWRENCE AND BLACK J. N. (1978): The Medicine You take. London Publishers, pg. 137.
- NELSON AND COX M. M. (1985): Principles of Bio-chemistry. London Toronto Publishers, pg. 3875.
- STONE, E. (1976): An Account of the Willow in Fever. Part Way Publishers Co. Ltd., England, pg. 254.
