Cinchona

Chemical Properties

Morphologic characteristics of the different varieties of cinchona differ very little. In general, the trees can reach 25 m in height, with opposite leaves and small flowers clustered as flowery tops. Indigenous to Peru, cinchona is cultivated today in all South and Central American countries, in Madagascar and areas of Africa. The part used is the bark from the branches. Commercially, the bark is distinguished as red cinchona (C. succirubra) or yellow cinchona (C. ledgeriana). The bark is collected from the plants more than 15 years old. Cinchona has a bitter, tonic taste.

Essential oil composition

The main constituents of the dried product and its derivatives are quinine, quinidine, cinchonidine, cinchonine and tannin. The total alkaloid content determines the quality of the derivatives. Quinine is about 70% of the alkaloid content.

Raw materials

Preparation Products