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quinine
Scientific Name: Cinchona calisaya
Family: Rubiaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth:
Duration:
Other Names:
Quinine
Quinine is a medication primarily known for its historical and current use in treating malaria.
Nomenclature and Taxonomy
- ChEBI Name: Quinine
- ChEBI ID: CHEBI:15854
- Definition: A cinchona alkaloid that is cinchonidine in which the hydrogen at the 6-position of... (definition truncated in source text)
Considerations for Pets
- Quinine is a bitter-tasting compound.
Considerations for Children
- Quinine is a bitter-tasting compound.
Description and Uses
- Quinine is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree.
- It's used to prevent and treat malaria, particularly malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.
- It also has applications in treating babesiosis.
- Historically, it has been used for fever-reducing and painkilling purposes and even in common cold preparations.
- Quinine sulphate belongs to a group of medicines called anti-protozoal agents and they are used to treat: malaria and prevent night cramps in adults
Important Note
- Quinine is not approved to treat or prevent nighttime leg cramps, despite historical use for this purpose in some regions.
Mechanism of Action
- Quinine works by killing parasites passed into the body from the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is thought to interfere with the parasite's function.
Ecological Role and Origin
- Quinine is found in the bark of the cinchona tree, native to Peru.
Quirky Facts
- The brand name "Fever-Tree" for tonic water was chosen as it is the colloquial name for the cinchona tree, the source of quinine.
- Gin and tonic's origin lies in masking the bitter taste of medicinal quinine.
- Some gins are made using cinchona bark as an ingredient to celebrate the spirit's historic role related to the use of quinine.
Resources and Further Information
- WebMD: Provides patient medical information for quinine oral, including uses, side effects, safety, interactions, warnings, and user ratings.
- British National Formulary (NICE): Offers information on quinine.
- International Programme on Chemical Safety: Provides a Poisons Information Monograph on quinine.
- The IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology: Contains quantitative data and detailed annotation of the targets of licensed and experimental drugs related to quinine.
- Sigma-Aldrich: Offers quinine for research needs.
- PhotochemCAD: Contains optical absorption and emission data of Quinine sulfate.