Which tree is the source of quinine, the medication used to treat malaria?

• A. Cinchona tree
• B. Rubber tree
• C. Cocoa tree
• D. Birch tree

Answer: (A)

Quinine, a bitter alkaloid long used to treat malaria, is derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree. The quinine alkaloids interfere with the malaria parasite’s ability to detoxify heme, helping to kill the parasite. This historical bark has earned Cinchona its fame as the source of quinine, long before synthetic antimalarials. The other trees don’t produce quinine or similar antimalarial alkaloids—rubber tree yields latex for rubber, cocoa tree yields chocolate, and birch is valued for wood and sap. So the Cinchona tree is the source of quinine.