Question

Quinine, the commonly used drug for malaria, is obtained from a plant. Which part of the plant yields this drug?
A. Root
B. Leaves
C. Fruit
D. Stem bark

Answer 1

Quinine is a white crystalline alkaloid which is a type of drug obtained from the tree cinchona which is used for the treatment of an infection caused by the protozoan parasite plasmodium called malaria.

Complete answer:
Quinine is a white crystalline alkaloid, a drug which is obtained from the bark of the tree cinchona and it is useful for the treatment of malaria. Quinine has fever-reducing (antipyretic), anti-inflammatory, and painkilling (analgesic, antimalarial) properties. Quinine exists naturally in the Cinchona's tree bark.
A medication like Quinine can be used to treat infections such as babesiosis and malaria. This also involves the treatment of infection of malaria which is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It is resistant to chloroquine in the case of lack of availability of artesunate. Quinine can be taken orally or intravenously. The resistance of malaria to quinine occurs in specific regions of the world. In the tonic water, one of its ingredients is quinine that provides a bitter taste to the water.

Therefore, the correct option is (D) stem bark.

Note:
Quinine is used in making beverages as a flavour component. It is one of the flavour ingredients in the tonic water as well as in the mixers of bitter lemon drink. It is also mixed with gin for making popular tonic cocktails. Some of the common side effects of quinine are mentioned below:

Headache
Ringing in the ears
Sweating
Trouble in seeing
Some of the severe side effects of the quinine include
An irregular heartbeat
Low blood platelets
Deafness