La quinina o chinchona, C20H24N2O2 es un alcaloide natural, blanco y cristalino, con propiedades antipiréticas, antipalúdicas y analgésicas producido por unas especies del género Cinchona. Tiene un sabor muy amargo. Es un estereoisómero de la quinidina. La intoxicación por esta sustancia produce cinconismo. La quinina era el principal compuesto empleado en el tratamiento de la malaria hasta que fue sustituido por otros medicamentos sintéticos más eficaces, como la quinacrina, cloroquina y primaquina. La quinina se puede utilizar todavía en el tratamiento de la malaria resistente. También se intentó utilizar para tratar pacientes infectados con priones, pero con un éxito limitado. Es un compuesto empleado frecuentemente en la adulteración de la heroína.

Leer el artículo completo en Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA

Quinine is a medication to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While used for restless legs syndrome, it is not recommended for this purpose. It can be taken by mouth or used intravenously. Malaria that is resistant to quinine occurs in certain areas of the world. Some quantities are also used in tonic water and gives it its bitter taste. Common side effects include headache, ringing in the ears, trouble seeing, and sweating. More severe side effects include deafness, low blood platelets, and an irregular heartbeat. Use can make one more prone to sunburn. While it is unclear if use during pregnancy causes harm to the baby, use to treat malaria during pregnancy is still recommended. How it works is not entirely clear. Quinine was first isolated in 1820 from the bark of the cinchona tree. Extracts from the bark have been used to treat malaria since at least 1632. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system. The wholesale price in the developing world is about US$1.70 to $3.40 per course of treatment. In the United States a course of treatment is more than $200.

Leer el artículo completo en Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA