Quinine. What You Need To Know

From Nocturnal leg cramps, Malaria treatment to Covid 19 cures, Quinine has been the talk of the internet for years. Quinine is a bitter compound that comes from the bark of the cinchona tree. The tree is most commonly found in South America, Central America, the islands of the Caribbean, and parts of the western coast of Africa. Quinine was originally developed as a medicine to fight malaria. The first synthetic organic dye, mauveine, was discovered by William Henry Perkin in 1856 when he was trying to synthesize quinine. Quinine is a basic amine and is usually provided in salt form, with various existing preparations encompassing hydrochloride, dihydrochloride, sulfate, bisulfate and gluconate. In the United States, quinine sulfate is commercially available in 324-milligram tablets under the brand name Qualaquin; it's also a flavor component of tonic water and bitter lemon drink mixers - in fact, on the soda gun behind many bars, tonic water is designated by the letter "Q" representing quinine.