Cinchona (Cinchona spp.) is a famous medicinal plant that saved many people from the fate of Malaria.
All Cinchona species are native to Andean forests of South America, and now naturalized in other areas including Africa and the South Atlantic.
Cinchona trees grow up to about 50 feet tall and have red, pink or white flowers with hairy lobes that are produced in panicles.
Very economically important during times of colonization to save lives of those exposed to Malaria, Chinchona eased colonization in wet and tropical areas. Today Cinchona cultivation is not such an important industry as in 1944 quinine (extracted from the bark of the tree) was synthesized artificially and made available as a drug. Also, as there has been an increase in resistant forms of malaria and other drugs favored for use, quinine has become less important.
Quinine has also acted as a bitter flavoring in carbonated drinks or tonics, in fact the use of tonic alcoholic drinks was how early colonists preferred to consume the bitter chinchona medicine.
Today, Cinchona (red or yellow) is considered GRAS in the US as a flavor (containing a maximum of 83 mcg of alkaloid).
Cinchona trees are also enjoyed as ornamentals, as well as used in Agroforestry for their coppicing ability.
The bark extract from Cinchona has a long history of use for fevers before it was widely known as a malaria treatment. The bark contains alkaloids, of which quinine is dominant, and is known to be bitter, astringent and useful in lowering fever, as well as antispasmodic. Interest in Cinchona alkaloids continues, and research is continuing for other uses, as well as use of other Cinchona alkaloids for quinine-resistant malaria. Quinidine has been found to be able to slow the heart and used for cardiac fibrillation.
Through scientific investigation Cinchona has been found to exhibit antimalarial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and cardiotonic activities.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.