salicylate

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A salt or ester of salicylic acid having the general formula shown below

and formed by replacing the carboxylic hydrogen of the acid by a metal (M) to give a salt or by an organic radical (R) to give an ester. Alkali-metal salts are water-soluble; the others, insoluble. Sodium salicylate is used in medicines as an antirheumatic and antiseptic, in the manufacture of dyes, and as a preservative (illegal in foods). Salicylic acid is used in the preparation of aspirin. The methyl ester is the chief component of oil of wintergreen. This ester is used in pharmaceuticals as a component of rubbing liniment. It is also used as a flavoring agent and an odorant. See also Aspirin.

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A group of drugs that are chemically related to salicylic acid; they are analgesics that also reduce fever and inflammation. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is a salicylate that is taken by mouth to relieve pain, fever, and inflammation. Several salicylates are applied to the skin in the form of creams, ointments, sprays, or other topical formulations to relieve pain and stiffness in muscles, joints, and ligaments. These salicylates, which are common ingredients of rubefacient preparations, include methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen), glycol salicylate, ethyl salicylate, ammonium salicylate, salicylamide, and tetrahydrofurfuryl salicylate. Choline salicylate is used as a gel to treat painful conditions of the mouth and gums.

Side effects and precautions:
salicylates should not be given to children under 16 years old. Salicylates taken by mouth can irritate the stomach lining and may cause gastric ulceration and bleeding (see aspirin). As a result of their wide use and ready availability, salicylates (mainly aspirin) are sometimes a cause of poisoning. Symptoms of mild chronic poisoning (salicylism) include headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and difficulty in hearing, which can be resolved by reducing the dosage. Topical preparations may cause skin irritation (see also rubefacients). Excessive or prolonged use of topical preparations containing salicylates should be avoided as these drugs can be absorbed into the body and may cause adverse systemic effects.

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A salicylate is one of the more characterizing single aroma chemicals. The best known of these is methyl salicy-late. It is the predominant aroma component of wintergreen. Likewise, most of the salicylates have varying degrees of the sweet, cooling, tangy character similar to the methyl ester.

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Any salt or ester of salicylic acid. The salicylates used as drugs for their analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects include aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA), methyl salicylate and sodium salicylate. Low dosages of salicylates are used primarily for the relief of mild-to-moderate pain or fever.
The mechanism of most of the effects of aspirin and other salicylates is inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, thus blocking pyretic and inflammatory processes that are mediated by prostaglandins.
Aspirin also prolongs the bleeding time through its effects on platelets owing to both inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and acetylation of platelet structures. Salicylates also cause ulceration and hemorrhagic lesions of the gastric mucosa; the same mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory effects increase the production of stomach acid, decrease the secretion of protective mucus and increase bleeding. See also aspirin poisoning.