Cinchona officinalis (Cinchona officinalis)
Other names: quinine tree
Harm score: 1 (Natural substances)
The quinine tree, also known as quinine tree or Cinchona officinalis, is a tree native to South America, where it grows in the Andes. It is an evergreen tree, reaching up to 15 metres in height. It has dark green leaves and large pinkish-white flowers. Its most valuable part, however, is the bark of the tree. It is rich in the active substance quinine, which was introduced to Europe in the 17th century by the Jesuits. The quinine tree was then cultivated mainly in the Dutch East Indies, today's Indonesia. Due to its therapeutic properties, it was classified as a medicinal plant and became the basis for the production of quinine, a substance used in medicine primarily as a treatment for malaria.
Quinine, extracted from the bark of the quinine tree, has an important place in medicine. It was used as the first effective medicine against malaria. Quinine is still one of the effective drugs against this disease, although many other antimalarials have been developed over the years. Quinine also appears in some medicines for pain and inflammation of the muscle. Another important use of quinine is in the food industry. It is quinine that gives tonic water its characteristic bitter taste. Quinine extract is also used to make bitter liqueurs. It is a versatile substance whose applications are found both in medicine and in the food industry. It is important to note that although quinine has a number of beneficial effects, it can also have adverse effects when taken in excess or in people with certain sensitivities to the substance.
Cinchona officinalis (Cinchona officinalis) can be found in the following products
Powder hair dye 100g Vitamin
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