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Cinchona officinalis Linn.


Botanical Name	:	Cinchona officinalis Linn.
English Name	:	Peruvian, Crown or Pale Cinchona Bark
Synonym(s)	:	Cinchona uritusinga. Cinchona condaminea. Cinchona academica. Cinchona crispa and Cinchona chahuarguera
Family	:	Rubiaceae

General Info

Description

A tree 6-15 m in height with rough brown bark, having pale yellow markings inside and dull white ones outside, 7-15 cm long, ovate-lanceolate leaves with reddish green petioles, red flowers in coryliform cymes, oblong, 12-20 mm long capsules and elliptic winged seeds.

Herb Effects

Antimalarial (plant and bark); antiarrhythmic and cardiotonic (plant); antipyretic, stringent and antiseptic (bark); antiparasitic, antiprotozoal, antispasmodic, bitter digestive aid, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart).

Links

Tropical Plant Database
Excerpt from Boericke's Materia Medica: The Tinctures

Chemistry

Active Ingredients

Quinine,quinidine, cinchonidine, cinchonine and cinchotannic acid(Plant); quercetin, kaempferol and avicularin (leaves)

Chemistry of Active Ingredients

Name

CAS#

IUPAC Name

Formula

Structure

Quinine

72646-90-3

(2-ethenyl-4-azabicy
clo[2.2.2]oct-5-yl)-
(6-methoxyquinolin-4
-yl)-metha nol

C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂

Quinidine

Not Available

(3-ethenyl-7-bicyclo
[2.2.2]octyl)-(6-met
hoxy-1H-quinolin-4-y
l)-methano l

C₂₁H₂₆NO₂+

Cinchonidine

485-71-2

(2-ethenyl-4-azabicy
clo[2.2.2]oct-5-yl)-
quinolin-4-yl-methan
ol

C₁₉H₂₂N₂O

Cinchonine

24831-03-6

(2-ethenyl-4-azabicy
clo[2.2.2]oct-5-yl)-
quinolin-4-yl-methan
ol

C₁₉H₂₂N₂O

Quercetin

Not Available

2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-3,4,5-trihydroxy
-chromen-7-one

C₁₅H₁₀O₇

Kaempferol

80714-53-0

3-[3-[4,5-dihydroxy-
6-(hydroxymethyl)-3-
[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-
(hydroxyme thyl)oxa
n-2-yl]oxy-oxan-2-yl
]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6
-(hydroxymethyl)oxan
-2 -yl]oxy-4,5-dihy
droxy-2-(4-hydroxyph
enyl)-chromen-7-one

C₃₃H₄₀O₂₁

Avicularin

Not Available

2-(3,4-dihydroxyphen
yl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-
(4,5,6-trihydroxyoxa
n-3-yl)oxy -chroman
-4-one

C₂₀H₂₀O₁₁

Pharmacology

Medicinal Use

As a tonic in intermittent fevers, debility, leucorrhea, smallpox, rheumatism, etc.. in skin ulcers and gum problems (bark); sore throat (bark decoction or infusion)

Contraindication

May potentiate blood thinning medications such as Warfarin.®

Reference

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal Aromatic Plants inIndia.

Bentley and Trimen, Medicinal Plants.

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