Transcript The origins of drugs images PowerPoint version

THE ORIGINS OF DRUGS
Aspirin from willow bark
Aspirin is commonly used painkiller. Now made synthetically in a lab, it has a similar chemical structure to salicylic acid extracted from willow bark.
Extracts of willow have been used in pain relief for many generations. Even the Greek physician Hippocrates was aware of its properties.
Credit: Ian Sane/Flickr, CC BY.
From fungus to transplant drug
Many drugs originate from fungi. Employees at the pharmaceutical company Sandoz were asked to bring samples back when they went on business trips or holidays. One
member of staff collected Tolypocladium inflatum. From this fungus, the drug cyclosporine was created, which is now used to prevent rejections in organ transplants.
Credit: North Dakota National Guard/Flickr CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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Malaria drug
Sweet wormwood is a plant that has been used for herbal remedies in China for many years. The active chemical has been identified and
turned into drug form known as artemisinin. Artemisinin combination therapies are now the recommended treatment for malaria.
Credit: Hugh Sturrock, Wellcome Images, CC BY
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Foxglove extracts treat heart problems
Digoxin is a drug that treats a number of heart conditions most commonly arrhythmic heart problems. It was isolated from the leaves of
a species of foxglove plant Digitalis lanata. Digitalis translates to ‘finger-like’ which references the characteristic shape of their flowers.
Credit: Frédérique PANASSAC/Flickr, CC BY-NC
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Paracetamol from coal tar
You may be surprised that even carparks can contain the source of some drugs. Paracetamol is derived from phenacetin, the active pain-killing chemical in coal tar analgesics. It was discovered in
the late 19th century but was only widely used as a painkiller after World War II. In the past, multiple analgesics have been derived from coal tar but paracetamol is the only one still in use today.
Credit: Sam_Catch/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
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Sea snails treat chronic pain
Marine snail species produce a wide range of toxins. Toxins have been the source of many drugs.
Ziconotide is derived from the cone snail species Conus magus. It is used to treat chronic pain.
Credit: Richard Parker/Flickr, CC BY
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