Cinchona

Horticultural

1. UNIVERSITYOFAGRICULTURAL ANDHORTICULTURALSCIENCES,
SHIVAMOGGA
College of Horticulture, Mudigere
Course teacher: SadashivNadukeri,
Asst. Prof.(PSMAC)
Dept.: Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic
crops (PSMAC)
Course: Medicinal Crops –PMA 202 (1+1)

2. CINCHONA

3. I. Introduction
Uses
Active principles
Origin and distribution
Description of plant
Species and varieties
Production Profile
Soil and climate
Propagation
Time of planting
Spacing
Manures and fertilizers
Intercultural operation
Pest and diseases
Harvesting
Yield
Other sources of quinine

4. Cinchona spp.
Introduction.
Cinchonabelongs to the family, Rubiaceae 2n= 34
❑The genus Cinchona contains about 65 species of trees.
❑They grow 15-20 meters in height and produce white, pink, or
yellow flowers.
❑Common names: Quinine bark, kinakina, China bark, cinchona
bark, Peruvian bark, Jesuit's bark, calisaya bark, fever tree.
In Sanskrit it is called as Kunayanah.
❑In 1820 two scientists, Pelletier and Caventou, isolated an alkaloid
chemical in the bark which provided the highest
antimalarial effect and named it quinine.

5. ❑The Cinchona cultivation in Bengal Presidency begun under the
direction of Dr.Thomas Anderson, the then
Superintendent of the Royal Botanical Garden, Calcutta.
❑The first Cinchona seeds received by Dr.Anderson were sent by
Sir W.J.Hooker to the Botanical Garden. Culcutta in
1861. These were multiplied at Culcutta Botanical Garden.
❑Dr. Anderson started his experimental trial for cultivation of
Cinchona in Darjeeling hills of Bengal and ultimately
selected Mungpoo Hills in 1862 for commercial cultivation.

6. Uses
1.Quinine is used as an antimalerial drug
2.quininewasinuseasonanestheticasasubstituteforcocaine.Its
anestheticactionisprolonged.
3.Ithasbeenusedasasclerosingagentinthetreatmentofinternal
hemorrhoidsandvaricoseveins.
4.Quinineprotectstheskinagainstsunburn.
5.Itisabittertonic,stomachicandappetizer.
6.Saltsofquinineareemployedinbeverages.
7.Asanadditiontohair-oils.
8.Asavulcanizationacceleratorintherubberindustry.
9.Formakingpolarizedlensesandhavevariousotherusesin
photographyandoptics.

7. Economic part: Stem bark
Active principles
❖Quinine is the major active principle.
❖More than twenty alkaloids have been isolated from cinchona, of which
cinchonidine, quiniidineand cinchonineare the most important.
❖The alkaloids exist chiefly as salts of quinicand cinchotannicacids
and their relative concentrations vary in different species.
❖The leaves contain 1% total alkaloids.
❖In addition to the alkaloids, the bark also contains the bitter glycoside,
a-quinovin, cinchofulvic, cinchotannicand quinicacids.
❖a bitterishessential oil possessing the odourof the bark, and a red
coloring matter.
❖Quinovin, on hydrolysis, yields quinonicacid, and mannitan.

8. Thealkaloidsareformedduringthedescentofthesap,
andtheirconcentrationislowintwigsandincreasesdownthe
stemtoamaximumintheroot-bark.
InC.ledgerina,almost90%ofthetotalalkaloidsofthe
stem-barkarequinine,whileofthetotalalkaloidsoftheroot-
bark,only60%isquinine.

9. OriginandDistribution
✓CinchonaisindigenoustoSouthAmerica,andoccursintheAndes,
Colombia,Ecuador,CostaRica,PeruandBoliviabetween
10
0
Nand19
0
Sataltitudesrangingfrom750-2725m.
✓SomespeciesarealsocultivatedinJava,Srilanka,India,Burma,
Tanganyika,Bohemia,Panama,Indonesia,Guatemala,Uganda,
Philippines,Tanzania,Kenya,ZaireandCostaRica.
✓InIndia,itisconfinedtosomepartsWestBengal.TamilNadu(the
AnnamalaisNaduvattam,ShevaroyHills,Palaniandpartsof
Tirunelveli)andKarnataka(SouthKanaraandCoorg)inanarea
ofabout6000to8000ha.

10. Descriptionoftheplant
➢Cinchonaspp(x=17)areevergreenshrubsortrees.
➢Theleavesareopposite,simpleentire;thestipulesareinterpetiolar
anddeciduous.
➢Theinflorescenceisaterminalpanicle.
➢Theflowersaresmallandfragrantthecalyxissmallunitedandhas
pointedlobes:thecorollaistubularwith5spreadinglobesand
afrillofhairsalongthemargins,itisheterostylous.
➢Thefruitisacapsule,dehiscingfromthebaseupwardswith40-50
small.Flat,wingedseeds.

11. Cinchona officinalis

12. Flower of cinchona

13. Speciesandvarieties.
ThereareFIVEcommercialspecies
a.C.succirubraPav.exkl.
Itattainsaheightof40-50ftormore.Thisspecieshasaredbark.The
quininecontent(0.5to1.5%)inthebarkisverypoor.
Thespeciesisvigorousandgrowswellbetween660to1800m
altitude.
ThespeciesispossiblyavarietyofC.pubescens.
b.C.officinalisL.
ThisspeciesiswellsuitedforthehigheraltitudesofSouthIndia
andflourisheswellatelevationsof1800to2420m.
Itisaslendertree,20-30fthigh.
ItisthesourceofCrownor‘Loxabark’.
Thequininecontentofthebarkrangesfrom1.5to2.0%.
ThespeciesisindigenoustothemountainsofColombiaand
Peru.

14. cC.ledgerianaMoensandTremen
This is a weak but fast growing species, attaining a maximum height of about
20 ft. and it can be grown between 900 to 1800 m elevations.
▪ It is a source of ‘Ledger bark’ or ‘Yellow bark which is the richest
in quinine (4 to 5%) the quinine content is occasionally as high as 14%.
▪ This species is considered either a hybrid between high-yielding
varieties like C.calisayaand C.succirubraor a complex hybrid
between C.calisaya, C.succirubraand C.lancifolia.

15. Cinchona calisaya

16. d. C.robusta
The origin of this species is uncertain, but it is presumed to be a
hybrid between C.succirubraand C.officinalis.
❑In India, it is grown in the Darjeeling Hills, West Bengal, and can be
grown in places with an elevation of up to 1510 m (5000 ft).
The average quinine content of the bark is about2%.
e. C. hybrida
This vigorous growing hybrid is a cross between C. succirubra
and C. ledgeriana.The yield of bark is high and the quinine content
varies from 2 to 2.5%.

17. Varieties
Cinchonaisanaturallycross-pollinatedplant,dueto
whichagreatdealofadmixturehastakenplaceamongthe
variousspeciesandthepresentstandsofcinchonaareonly
crossesbetweenthesevariousspecies.Anoutstandingclone
–No.701–containingover12%ofquininesulphateinthe
barkhasbeenspottedbytheTamilNaduForestDepartment
andispropagatedonanextensivescaleintheNilgirisand
Anamalais.

18. Soil:
Cinchonaprefersalight,welldrained,virginforestsoil,richin
organicmatterwithnopossibilityofsubsoilwater-loggingandwitha
highmoistureholdingcapacity.Itprefersacidicsoil(pH4.6to6.5).
Thecalciumrequirementofthiscropishigh.
Climate:
C. ledgerianagrows best in tropical climates at altitudes of
1800 m. However, the other species grown well in areas with an
average minimum temperature of 13.5
0
C and a maximum of 21
0
C with
a mean relative humidity of 83%.
The growth is very poor at temperatures below 7
0
C or above 26
0
C
It grows well in places where the annual rainfall is a less than 200 mm
and is well distributed over at least eight months of the year.
Cinchona is susceptible to frost and hence, is not grown on very high
hill ranges.

19. LandPreparation
➢Forraisingcinchonaplantations,virginforestsoilsarebestsuited.
➢Theforestisclearedandthegroundisleveledanddugtoadepthof
11/2fttoimprovethesoilstructureandtoremovestones
➢Aboutafortnightpriortoplanting,pitsof60x60cmaredugand
filledupwithtopsoilandwelldecomposedorganicmatter.

20. Propagation
Cinchona is propagated both by seeds as well as
vegetative by cutting, stooling, layering and cleft-grafting, vineeror
side-grafting and patch-budding.
As most of the species of cinchona are highly heterozygous,
vegetative propagation is preferred.
But, in India, cinchona is propagated by seeds as it is
comparatively less expensive.

21. PropagationbySeeds
✓Cinchonaseedsaresmallandlightandlossviabilityonstorage.
✓TheseedsaregenerallysownduringAprilinslopingbeds,12x4ft,and
coveredwithathatchedroof.
✓Whilesowing,thefreshseedsarescatteredthicklyonthesurfaceand
coveredwithathinlayeroffinesand.
✓Thebedsarethenlightlywateredusingaspraycan.
✓Theseedsgerminationisnoticed,outofwhichonlyabout10%ofthe
seedlingswillbesuitablefortransplantingaftereliminatingall
theweak,leanandlankyseedlings.
✓Seedlingsaretransplantedwhentheyareaboutfourmonthsold,with
twopairsofleaves.
✓Theseedlingswillbereadyforplantinginthemainfieldduringmid-May
ofthesucceedingyearwhentheyareabout14-18monthsold
and30-60cminheight.

22. Vegetative propagation
❖Among vegetative methods of propagation, patch-budding, soft terminal
cuttings and layering have recorded the best results.
❖A high percentage (85%) of success is obtained in patch-budding in the
period from March to the middle of June.
❖Patch-budding is usually done in the nurseries or plantations, in situ on
plants which are one to two years old.
❖Even the budding on coppices has given a better growth of budded
plants.
❖The cuttings are made to root by etiolation.
❖During May-June, the shoots are treated, from which cuttings are taken
after 50-65 days and planted in the nursery

23. Planting
➢Plantingisdonebeforetheonsetofheavyrains.
➢Thesoilshouldbesufficientlymoistatthetimeofplanting.
➢Theplantingisdoneinopenpitsataspacingof120x120cmor150x150
cmordenseplantingofabout8000plantsperhectareisdone.
➢Theplantsaregraduallyharvestedfrom3-5years,untilabout800plants
remaininonehectareafter25years.
➢Youngcinchonaplantsneedshadewhichisprovidedbyplantingshade
plantslikeAlnusnepalensis,Erythrinaindica,Albizziastipulata
andGrivellearobusta,20ftapart.

24. Albizziastipulata
Grivellearobusta

25. Manures and Fertilizers
▪ Application of a fertilizer mixture containing N, P and K gives
marked results.
▪Liming (dolomite or limestone) is done for the soil if the pH is 5 or lower.
▪Nutrients are supplied @ 115 kg N, 105 kg P
2
O and 115 kg k
2
O/ha in the
form of triple super phosphate, muriate of potash and ammonium
sulphate.
▪The quinine content in cinchona is known to increase with the age of the
trees, under favourable nutritional conditions.

26. Weeding:
Weedshavetoberemovedatregularintervals,particularlyin
youngplantations.
CoverCropping:
Besidesthenativecover,Crotalariausaramoenisor
Leucaenaglaucaaregrownascovercropsincinchonaplantations.
Whentheplantationbecomesolderthegroundisshadedmore
heavily,hencetheoriginalcovercropmustbereplacedwithshade-
tolerantspecies.
Staking:
Theplantsshouldbestakedproperlyinthefirstthreeyearsto
preventtheirswayingorleaning.

27. Pests:
Thegrubsofcockchaferbeetles(Holotrichiarepetita,
Rhizotrogusrefus,Sericanilgiriensis,Popillachlorion,etc.)cause
seriousdamagetotheseedlingsinSouthIndianplantations.
Theadultsofthesebeetlescometothesurfaceduringsummerand
shouldbeflushedbyirrigatingtheseed-bedswithwatermixedwith
crudeoilemulsion.
Thebeetlesmustbethenhand-pickedandkilled.
Crickets also cut the young seedlings and drag them to their haunts in
the seed-beds.
The application of tobacco decoction with kerosene or phenyl wards
off these insects.

28. The tea-fly, Helopeltisantoniiand H.cinchonii, infest the
leaves in nurseries and also in the main field.
These insects cause leaf-curl by sucking the juice form the
tender leaves.
If heavy damage is noticed, sodium arsenate mixed @ 28 g
with 113 g of molasses in 9 litresof water may be sprayed
on the plants for controlling these insects.
The leaf bug, Disphinctushumeralis, is occasionally found
on tender foliage.

29. Diseases
❑StemblightcausedbySporotrichiumandVerticilliumspp.,
❑seedlingblightduetoPhytophotroaparasitica,
❑Root-rotduetoPhytophthoracinnamomi,andSclerotiumrolfsii
❑Damping-offduetoPhythiumdexansandRhizoctoniasolaniaresome
transplantbed-diseasesaffectingcinchonaseedlings.The
spreadofthesediseasescanbecheckedbyscoopingoutthe
soilinthediseasedpatchesallaround,toadepthof10cmand
throwingitaway.
❑Thecavity,soformed,maybefilledwithsterilized,drysoilThenursery-
bedsshouldalsobedrenchedwithmercurialfungicidetocheck
thespreadofthediseases.

30. Die-back or pink disease is caused by Pelliculariasalmnicolor.
This organism attacks the tender tips of the stems and branches
and gradually spreads.
The branches should be pruned to prevent the spread of the
disease.
Besides, the fungus Armillariamelleacauses root rot and
Roselliniaspp. causes leaf spot diseases

31. Harvesting
➢Byjudgingtheamountofvegetativegrowth,thetreesare
coppicedwhentheyare6to8yearsold.
➢Coppicinginvolvespruningthetreesataheightof5cm(2inches)
fromtheground-level.
➢Theleftoverstumpregeneratestoproducealargenumberof
shoots,butonlytwoorthreeoftheseareretainedand
allowedtogrowfurther.
➢Therestofthecoppicesareremoved.
➢Asecondcoppicingisdone8-10yearsafterthefirstcoppicing,
whereonlyabout2to3shootsarelefttogrownfurther.
➢Theplantsareuprootedinthe30
th
yearwhentheirvigordeclines
Themajorharvestareobtainedatthetimeofthefirsttwo
coppicingandonlylittleyieldofbarkisobtainedfromthe
deadanddryingtreesandpruning.

32. ➢Thefirstsetofyieldsisobtainedinthethirdyearafterplanting.
➢Thebarkisseparatedfromthecoppicesbybeatingitwithamallet
andisthenpeeledbyhandoraknife.
➢Thepeeledbarkshouldbedriedimmediatelytopreventthelossof
alkaloids,preferablyintheshade.
➢Inrainyweather,dryingisdoneinspecialshedsorbymeansof
artificialheat.Inwell-establishedplantation,dryingisdoneinwell-
regulatedovens.
➢Forthispurpose,hotairovens,regulatedby70
0
C,areemployed.
➢Thelong,stripsofbarkarecutintosmallpiecesandfedintotheupper
endofalong,slightlyinclined,rotating,cylindricaloven.
➢Thedriedproductcontains10%moisture;thedriedbarkisthen
packedingunnybags.Thedriedbarkiscalled‘Druggists’bark
(quininecontent1.8-2%)intrade.

33. YieldofBark
▪Duringthefirsttwocoppicing,ayieldof4000kgofdrystembark
perhectareisobtained.
▪Atthefinalstageofuprootingthetree,theyieldofthebarkmaybe
about6000kg/ha.
Substituteforcinchonabark
ThebarksofC.lancifolia,C.ovata,Remijiapedunculata
andR.Purdieanaareoftenusedassubstituteforcinchonabark

34. Cinchona barks

35. Mungpoo quinine factory

36. Chopped cinchona
Cinchona tincture

37. Products of cinchona