Lojabark
Cinchona officinalis
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
Cinchona officinalis, otherwise known as Lojabark, is an evergreen shrub or small tree of about 6 - 20 m tall found in western South America particularly in Ecuador. Like other species under the same genus, it has long been used by native people in the treatment of fever and malaria. The bark is also used in the treatment of neuralgia, muscle cramps and cardiac fibrillation. It is made into tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures and powders. Alkaloid quinine extracted from the bark is used in hair oils and shampoo, sun-tan oil, insecticides, and as a vulcanizing agent.
Cinchona officinalis is an evergreen Tree growing to 8 m (26ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 8
Where it is found
Cool, humid, mountain regions at elevations of 1,200 - 3,000 metres.
Western S. America - Ecuador.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Ecuador.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Quinine, extracted from the bark of the tree, is used as a bitter flavouring in tonic water and carbonated drinks.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 5
Lojabark has a long history of native use, especially as a treatment for fevers and malaria. Modern research has shown it to be a very effective treatment for fevers, and especially as a treatment and preventative of malaria. The bark contains various alkaloids, particularly quinine and quinidine. Up to 70 - 80% of the total alkaloids contained in the bark are quinine. The bark is a bitter, astringent, tonic herb that lowers fevers, relaxes spasms, is antimalarial (the alkaloid quinine) and slows the heart (the alkaloid quinidine). The bark is made into various preparations, such as tablets, liquid extracts, tinctures and powders. It is used internally in the treatment of malaria, neuralgia, muscle cramps and cardiac fibrillation. It is an ingredient in various proprietary cold and influenza remedies. The liquid extract is useful as a cure for drunkenness. It is also used as a gargle to treat sore throats. Large and too constant doses must be avoided, as they produce headache, giddiness and deafness.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Bitter: Increases the appetite and stimulates digestion by acting on the mucous membranes of the mouth. Also increases the flow of bile, stimulates repair of the gut wall lining and regulates the secretion of insulin and glucogen.
Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Malaria: Treats malaria - an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites spread to people through the bites of mosquitos.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
Other uses rating: Low (2/5). Other Uses: The alkaloid quinine, extracted from the bark, is used in products like hair oils and shampoo, sun-tan oil, insecticides, as a vulcanizing agent in the rubber industry, and in the preparation of certain metals.
Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.
Insecticide: Kills insects.
Teeth: Plants used to clean and care for the teeth.
Industrial Crop: Medicinal: Most pharmaceuticals are synthesized from petroleum but 25% of modern medicines are based on plants.
Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Industrial Crop: Medicinal: Most pharmaceuticals are synthesized from petroleum but 25% of modern medicines are based on plants.
Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Coppice: A traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down.
How it is grown
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations from 1,500 - 3,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 23°c, but can tolerate 7 - 27°c. It can be killed by temperatures of 7°c or lower. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,500 - 3,500mm, but tolerates 1,400 - 4,000mm. Requires a well-drained, moist soil and a position in full sun or partial shade. It grows very poorly or not at all on soils that have been exposed to fire. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.3, tolerating 4.8 - 7. Plants start flowering after 3 - 4 years, and are uprooted and harvested after 8 - 12 years. In commercial plantations, the trees are coppiced when about 6 years old.
Propagating it: Seed - Nodal softwood cuttings. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a sandy soil.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Care must be taken in the use of this herb since excess can cause a number of side effects including cinchonism, headache, rash, abdominal pain, deafness and blindness. The herb, especially in the form of the extracted alkaloid quinine, is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.
Its other names
Local names
Cinchona officinalis, otherwise known as Lojabark, Quinine, red cinchona, cinchona bark, JesuitÕs bark, loxa bark, JesuitÕs powder, countess powder, Peruvian bark. Spanish: quina, cascarilla, cargua cargua, corteza coja.