Question

Which part of tree is used for making quinine?

• A. Bark
• B. Root
• C. Fruit Seed
• D. Flower

Hint:

Remember key plant-derived commercial products from Geography textbooks:
Quinine $\rightarrow$ Cinchona tree bark.
Tannin $\rightarrow$ Bark and leaves of mangrove, wattle, quebracho.
Chicle (chewing gum) $\rightarrow$ Milky juice/latex of the zapote tree.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept:
Gathering and plant-based resource extraction represent traditional primary economic activities practiced across tropical forest biomes.
Forests yield a diverse spectrum of non-timber forest products, including tannins, gums, resins, rubber, balata, and medicinal compounds.
Quinine is a naturally occurring alkaloid with potent antipyretic and antimalarial properties derived from botanical specimens.

Step 1: Botanical Origin and Extraction of Quinine:
Quinine is derived specifically from the dried outer bark of trees belonging to the genus Cinchona, native to the Andean mountain forests of South America.
The bark contains several quinoline alkaloids, of which quinine is the primary therapeutic agent historically utilized worldwide for malaria treatment.
The process of harvesting involves stripping or peeling the bark from mature Cinchona trees, which is then dried, pulverized, and chemically processed.

Step 2: Evaluating the Other Plant Organs:
Roots, fruit seeds, and flowers of the Cinchona tree do not contain the requisite concentration of commercial quinine alkaloids.
Industrial and traditional pharmacopoeia relies exclusively on the bark of the Cinchona tree for commercial quinine extraction.
Final Answer:
Thus, the bark of the tree is used for making quinine.