Ephedrine
Efedrina
- Date
- 1885 · confidence high
- Place
- Imperial University, Tokyo, Japan
- Credited to
- Nagai Nagayoshi
- People
- 👤 Nagai Nagayoshi1844–1929
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Isolation of the alkaloid from ma huang (Ephedra), used for centuries in Chinese medicine. It became a bronchodilator for asthma and a precursor of amphetamines.
What it led to
- treatment of asthma
- synthesis of methamphetamine (Nagai, 1893)
- decongestants