Natural product to modern discovery of their active ingredients and eventually to the development of new drugs. A large number of currently prescribed drugs have been either directly derived from or inspired by natural products. A few representative examples are listed below. Some of the oldest natural product based drugs are analgesics. The bark of the willow tree has been known from antiquity to have pain relieving properties. This is due to presence of the natural product salicin which in turn may be hydrolyzed into salicylic acid. A synthetic derivative acetylsalicylic acid better known as aspirin is a widely used pain reliever.
Hippocrates of Athens Hippocrates of Athens Hippocrates of Athens (, "Hippokrátēs"; c. 459 – 424 BC), the son of Ariphron, was a strategos of the Athenians in 424 BC, serving alongside Demosthenes. Hippocrates and Demosthenes set out from Athens to seize the long walls of Megara (which connected the city with its port Nisaea). They were unable to gain entrance into the city but they were successful after a short siege. When the Spartan general Brasidas arrived, they were compelled to withdraw, but then invaded Boeotia in a three-pronged attack. Hippocrates was given command of the land force that was to take Delium