Salicin

Salicin is a bitter phenolic glycoside found in willow bark and other plants. The body can metabolize it into salicylic acid, a compound related to aspirin.

Salicin metabolism: The enzymatic breakdown of salicin into glucose and salicyl alcohol, followed by oxidation to salicylic acid. This conversion links ingested salicin to the salicylic acid found in the body.
Willow bark: The bark of willow trees, traditionally used in remedies and a natural source of salicin. It is the best-known plant material from which salicin was obtained.
Willow bark extract: A preparation made from willow bark that contains salicin and other plant constituents. It is the traditional preparation through which salicin has been consumed.
Methyl salicylate: An aromatic ester found in some plants and used as a topical counterirritant and fragrance. It is another plant-associated salicylate, but it is chemically distinct from salicin.
Salicyl alcohol: An aromatic alcohol, also called saligenin, produced when salicin is hydrolyzed. It is the intermediate formed when salicin loses its glucose group.
Johann Andreas Buchner: A German pharmacist who isolated salicin from willow bark in 1828. His isolation established salicin as a distinct substance rather than an unexplained property of bark.
Phytotherapy: The use of plants or plant-derived preparations to prevent or treat illness. Willow bark and salicin sit within the broader practice of plant-based treatment.
Salicinol: A naturally occurring phenolic glycoside related to salicin and found in certain plants. Its similar name and structure distinguish it as a separate glycoside, not a salicin metabolite.
Salicylic acid: An aromatic carboxylic acid with anti-inflammatory and keratolytic uses. Oxidation of salicyl alcohol produces the acid associated with salicin’s medicinal history.
Henri Leroux: A French pharmacist who developed an improved method for extracting salicin from willow bark. His work helped make salicin available for chemical and medicinal study.

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