Cinchona officinalis
Encyclopedia
Cinchona officinalis is a tree native to Amazon Rainforest
vegetation
. This plant, often thought to be used for the production of quinine
, which is an anti-fever agent especially useful in the prevention and treatment of malaria
. There are a number of various other chemicals which are made from this tree, and they include cinchonine
, cinchonidine
and quinidine
. Cinchona calisaya is the tree most cultivated for quinine production.
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
. This plant, often thought to be used for the production of quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
, which is an anti-fever agent especially useful in the prevention and treatment of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. There are a number of various other chemicals which are made from this tree, and they include cinchonine
Cinchonine
Cinchonine is an alkaloid with molecular formula C19H22N2O used in asymmetric synthesis in organic chemistry. It is a stereoisomer and pseudo-enantiomer of cinchonidine....
, cinchonidine
Cinchonidine
Cinchonidine is an alkaloid used in asymmetric synthesis in organic chemistry. It is a stereoisomer and pseudo-enantiomer of cinchonine....
and quinidine
Quinidine
Quinidine is a pharmaceutical agent that acts as a class I antiarrhythmic agent in the heart. It is a stereoisomer of quinine, originally derived from the bark of the cinchona tree.-Mechanism:...
. Cinchona calisaya is the tree most cultivated for quinine production.