Cinchona Bark

Name: Cinchona Bark

Biological Source : Dried barks of Cinchona calisaya, c. ledgeriana C. officinalis and Cinchona
succirubra and hybrids from either of the first two with either of the last two Fam. Rubiaceae
Condition: rough.
Shape: simple quills, double quills and curved pieces
Size: up to 30 cm in length 2-9 mm thickness.
Outer surface: is brown and is rough due to the presence of cracks, wrinkles, Whitish epiphytes or
lichens my be present
Inner surface: coarsely longitudinal striated. Fracture: short in
cortex and fibrous in the inner part.
Odor: faint.
Taste: astringent and intensely bitter taste.

Structure:
i- The cork consists of several layers of thin-walled flat cells occurring in rows and filled with
reddish-brown content.
ii- The cortex is made of brown thin walled parenchyma containing small starch grains with
occasional idioblast filled with micro crystals of calcium oxalate. Near the inner margin
of the cortex are large oval secretion canals at intervals.
iii- The phloem which forms the greater bulk of the bark is traverses longitudinally by 1-3 seriate
medullary rays. The phloem fibers are very diagnostic and are large fusiform thick-walled
lignified with striated walls and funnel-shaped pits. The fibers occur singly or in small
radial groups of two to four cells. Sclereids are absent.

* T.S sector in Cinchona Bark *

Cinchona Powder Key elements :

1- Lignified yellow fusiform fibers with stratified pits.
2- Brown fragments of cork cells
3- Fragment of brown-walled parenchyma, containing small starch grains or micro
crystals of calcium oxalate.
Chemical Test for identification :
Shake vigorously about 0.1 gm of powder cinchona with 2 ml of dilute HCl and filter.
To the filtrate add a drop of Mayers agent, where a white precipitate is immediately formed.