Antithrombotic drugs, essential

Arachidonate, an essential precursor of prostaglandins and other signal molecules, is derived from linoleate. This 20 4 polyunsaturated fatty acid is the precursor of several classes of signal molecules— prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes— that act as messengers and local hormones because of their transience. They are called eicosanoids because they contain 20 carbon atoms. Aspirin (acetylsalicylate), an anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic drug, irreversibly blocks the synthesis of these eicosanoids. 

As Eilbracht and coworkers [38] showed in numerous examples, the reaction cascade hydroformylation—(Fischer indolization) is a useful protocol for the synthesis of three-substituted indoles, including the essential amino acid tryptophan, the tissue hormone melatonin, and the neutrotransmitter serotonin (Figure 5.25). In addition, pharmacologically active tryptamine or homotryptamine derivatives, such as the marketed serotonin agonists sumatriptan, naratriptan, or zolmitriptan, or compounds that show a platelet aggregation inhibitory and antithrombotic effect (vintoperol) can be synthesized by such a protocol. Also active drug components for the treatment of schizophrenia (sertindole) can probably be produced by this approach [39]. It is estimated that the worldwide demand for such indole derivatives is about 20 000 mt/a [40]. 

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