Compound Monograph
Salicin
Salicin is the willow-bark glycoside that the body converts into salicylic acid, the historical forerunner of aspirin.
Classification
Salicin is a phenolic glycoside (salicylate), part of the phenolics class. Antioxidant compounds built around one or more phenol rings — the flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, coumarins, and pigments behind much of a plant's protective chemistry.
Where Does It Come From? (3)
Salicin is a naturally occurring phenolic glycoside (salicylate), found in Willow, Meadowsweet and Poplar. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).
Research & Evidence
Salicin is a phenolic glycoside found in willow bark and meadowsweet. After ingestion it is metabolised to saligenin and then to salicylic acid, which accounts for the traditional use of willow bark for pain, fever and inflammation and its place in the history of aspirin’s development. Clinical studies of standardised willow-bark extracts have examined salicin’s role in relieving low-back and joint pain.
Toxicity & Safety
At the levels found in willow-bark preparations salicin is generally well tolerated and lower in gastric irritation than aspirin, because it is converted to salicylic acid more gradually. Because it ultimately yields a salicylate, it carries the cautions associated with that drug class: it should be avoided by people allergic to aspirin, used carefully alongside other anticoagulant or anti-inflammatory drugs, and is generally not recommended for children with viral illnesses owing to the theoretical risk of Reye’s syndrome.
Dosage
Clinical trials of willow-bark extract have typically standardised to roughly 120–240 mg of salicin per day. These figures describe doses studied in research and are not a recommendation.