Which is the first synthetic active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the world???

 The first synthetic active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is often attributed to Friedrich Sertürner, a German pharmacist, who isolated and synthesized morphine from opium in the early 19th century. Morphine is considered one of the earliest examples of a synthetic API.

Friedrich Sertürner's isolation and identification of morphine from opium in 1804 marked a significant milestone in the history of drug discovery. His work not only led to the discovery of a potent pain-relieving compound but also laid the foundation for the field of organic chemistry and the synthesis of other medicinal compounds.

While morphine itself is not entirely synthetic (as it's derived from a natural source), Sertürner's isolation and subsequent chemical modifications can be considered pioneering steps toward the development of synthetic APIs.

It's important to note that the concept of what constitutes a "synthetic API" can vary, as many early medicinal compounds were derived from natural sources and then chemically modified. As the field of organic chemistry advanced, the ability to synthesize complex compounds entirely from basic starting materials grew, leading to the development of fully synthetic APIs.