Cinchona Officinalis, commonly known as Quinine Bark or Peruvian Bark, is a well-known medicinal plant used primarily for its alkaloid quinine, which has been historically vital in the treatment of malaria. The bark of this plant is recognized for its bitter, astringent, and thermogenic properties and serves as a natural antipyretic and cardio tonic.
Family Name: RUBIACEAE
Botanical Name: CINCHONA OFFICINALIS
Common Name: QUININE, PERUVIAN BARK, QUININE BARK
Part Used: QUININE ISOLATED FROM BARK
Habitat: Cultivated in Nilgiri Hills
Uses: Quinine is Bitter, Astringent, Acrid, Thermogenic, Febrifuge, Oxytoxic and Anodyne. It is digestive, antipyretic, cardio tonic, dystocia, lumbago etc.
Additional Information:
Cinchona bark contains quinine, quinidine, and other alkaloids that are pharmacologically active. Quinine, in particular, has been crucial in the treatment of malaria for centuries, especially before the advent of synthetic drugs. It is also used in small doses as a flavoring agent in tonic water. Due to its antipyretic and analgesic properties, quinine has been traditionally used for fever, muscle cramps, and body aches. In addition, Cinchona bark was historically considered valuable enough to be traded like gold in colonial times.