1. Molecule of the week: quinine
Quinine is the bitter component in tonic water (as in Gin and Tonic)
Obtained from cinchona tree bark: native to the Andes. Introduced to Europe in 1600’s.
Chemical structure: flat aromatic ring, amines, alcohol, ether groups. First synthesized by Woodward in 1945.
Uses: treatment of muscle cramps and malaria.
Malaria: fevers and flu-like symptoms
Malaria: cause by a parasite: Plasmodium vivax, which is carried by mosquitoes the tropics. It localizes to the liver and red blood cells.
Quinine works by disrupting the cell walls of the parasite in the blood stream.