Cinchona and Digitalis Plants

1) Cinchona (Family – Rubiaceae)

• ​Biological Source: Quinine is obtained from the hard, thick bark of Cinchona calisaya, C. officinalis, C. robusta, C. ledger [ledgeriana] of 5 years onward old plant.
• ​Identifying Character: White, granular, bitter taste.
• ​Organoleptic Character:
  • ​Colour: Stem and root bark brown outside, yellow within, i.e., white and black markings.
  • ​Odour: Nil
  • ​Taste: Bitter
  • ​Texture: Rough
• ​Chemical Constituents: About 30 alkaloids have been reported as occurring in cinchona barks; many of these are crystalline, but some are amorphous. The four most important alkaloids are quinine, cinchonidine, and quinidine; next important are hydroquinine, hydrocinchonidine, quinamine, cinchotine, and homocinchonidine.
• ​Uses:
  1. ​Quinine possesses marked bactericidal action.
  2. ​It is used chiefly in the treatment of malaria.
  3. ​It is also used as a tonic and antiseptic.
  4. ​Quinine is employed for the prophylaxis of cardiac arrhythmias and for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
• ​Adulterant: Remijia purdieana
• The cinchona tree is the national tree of Ecuador and Peru.

​2) Digitalis

• ​Active Principals or Chemical Constituents: Leaves of wild varieties have been used for medicinal purposes; contain at least 30 different glycosides in total quantities ranging from 0.1% – 0.6%. These primarily consist of Glycoside-A and Glycoside-B. Other components are digitoxin, gitoxin, digoxin, digitalin, and gitaloxin.
• ​Uses:
  1. ​The plant extract is used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
  2. ​The plant extraction is also used in the treatment of the heart.

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