Cinchona
Cinchona, commonly known as the quinine tree, is a legendary medicinal plant native to the Andes. Renowned for its alkaloid-rich bark, it serves as the historical foundation for treating malaria. This botanical powerhouse has played a transformative role in global medicine, bridging ancient indigenous knowledge with modern pharmacology.
- Scientific name: Cinchona
- Family: Rubiaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is specifically classified within the order Gentianaales and the family Rubiaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Cinchona.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Gentianales | WCVP |
| Family | Rubiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Cinchona | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant is known by various names across different Chinese linguistic contexts, including 金鸡纳属 (zh-hans), 金雞納樹 (zh-hant), 金雞納樹 (zh-hk), 金鸡纳属 (zh-cn), and 金鸡纳树 (zh-sg).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 金鸡纳属 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 金雞納樹 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 金雞納樹 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 金鸡纳属 | Wikidata |
| zh-sg | 金鸡纳树 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 金雞納屬 | Wikidata |
| pl | Chinowiec | Wikidata |
| qu | Kina-kina | Wikidata |
| ko | 기나나무 | Wikidata |
| de | Chinarindenbäume | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several continents and oceanic regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is noted within the borders of Guinea. Moving toward West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found around the Gulf of Guinea Islands and throughout the DR Congo. The species also extends into the Middle Atlantic Ocean, specifically on the island of St. Helena. Finally, its range reaches the Indian Subcontinent, where it is located in India.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Gulf of Guinea Is. | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Middle Atlantic Ocean | St.Helena | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | India | WCVP |
| Malesia | Sulawesi | WCVP |
| South-Central Pacific | Society Is. | WCVP |
| Northwestern Pacific | Caroline Is. | WCVP |
| North-Central Pacific | Hawaii | WCVP |
| Mexico | Mexico Southeast | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as the source of Peruvian bark, is highly valued in pharmacology for its therapeutic properties. The most significant part of the plant used for medicinal purposes is the cortex, which is harvested from the tree. Specifically, the stem bark is collected and processed to extract its most vital component, quinine, an alkaloid used to treat malaria. Therefore, the dried bark remains one of the most historically important botanical resources in medicine.- Total parts
- 7
- Scientific sources
- 9
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| bark | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| stem bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| quinine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| peruvian bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cortex | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cinchona bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Peruvian bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Cinchona has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include quinine, quinidine, warfarin.
- Total chemicals
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 11
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| quinine | 9 | ★★★★☆ |
| quinidine | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| warfarin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Cinchona has 2 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimalarial, Antifungal.
- Total activities
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antimalarial | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Cinchona has 8 reported medicinal uses identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include malaria, Malaria, cholera, hysteria, leukemia.
- Total uses
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 15
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| malaria | 7 | ★★★★☆ |
| Malaria | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cholera | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hysteria | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leukemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| mania | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| melancholia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| psychiatric diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |