Question

Quinine is obtained from
(a) Cinchona root
(b) Bark of Cinchona stem
(c) Cinchona stem
(d) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: This is used as an antimalarial drug. This includes the treatment of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum that is resistant to chloroquine. This is also used as an anti-rheumatic drug.

Complete answer:
Quinine is obtained from the bark of the Cinchona tree. This is effective against almost all varieties of the malarial parasite.
So, the correct answer is ‘Bark of Cinchona stem’.

Additional information:
- Malaria is a life-threatening mosquito-borne blood disease.
- Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites.
- The vector which is responsible for spreading malaria is Female anopheles mosquitoes.
- The parasite completes its life-cycle in the mosquitoes and humans.
- The life- cycle consists of both sexual and asexual type of the reproductions
- Sexual reproduction is completed in the Female anopheles mosquito while asexual is completed in humans by a process termed as schizogony. Schizogony is a type of multiple fission.
- During the life-cycle of malaria, a chemical is released in humans called hemozoin.
- It is an infectious disease but a non-communicable disease.
- The infectious stage of the Plasmodium is a minute sickle- shaped sporozoite.
- It is only communicable through the blood transfusion.
Different types of plasmodium which are responsible for Malaria are:
- Plasmodium falciparum
- Plasmodium vivax
- Plasmodium malariae
- Plasmodium ovale
- Symptoms- anemia, fever, headache, nausea, tiredness, muscular pain, vomiting, weakness, etc.
- It majorly affects the RBCs count of the blood and also the liver.
- The disease is identified by the blood test as a ‘blood smear’ on a microscopic slide.
- Measures to control malaria- by avoiding stagnation of water, regular cleaning of household coolers, introducing fishes, spraying insecticide and oil in ditches.

Note: Facts regarding malaria and its control:
- Hemozoin is responsible for the high fever in malaria.
- Fishes like Gambusia should be introduced in ponds that feed on mosquito larvae.
- Chloroquine is a chlorine derivative form of quinine.