Kino (gum)

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Copious flow of kino from a wound near the base of the trunk of a Corymbia calophylla (Marri) Corymbia calophylla kino.jpg
Copious flow of kino from a wound near the base of the trunk of a Corymbia calophylla (Marri)

Kino is the name of the plant gum produced by various plants and trees, particularly Eucalyptus , in reaction to mechanical damage, [1] and which can be tapped by incisions made in the trunk or stalk. Its red colour, together with the tendency of some species to ooze large amounts of it from wounds, is the source of the common names "red gum" and "bloodwood". The word “kino” is of West African origin. [2]

Plant multicellular eukaryote of the kingdom Plantae

Plants are mainly multicellular, predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, plants were treated as one of two kingdoms including all living things that were not animals, and all algae and fungi were treated as plants. However, all current definitions of Plantae exclude the fungi and some algae, as well as the prokaryotes. By one definition, plants form the clade Viridiplantae, a group that includes the flowering plants, conifers and other gymnosperms, ferns and their allies, hornworts, liverworts, mosses and the green algae, but excludes the red and brown algae.

Natural gum thickening agent

Natural gums are polysaccharides of natural origin, capable of causing a large increase in a solution’s viscosity, even at small concentrations. They are mostly botanical gums, found in the woody elements of plants or in seed coatings. They are used in the food industry as thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifying agents, and stabilizers, and in other industries as adhesives, binding agents, crystal inhibitors, clarifying agents, encapsulating agents, flocculating agents, swelling agents, foam stabilizers, etc.

<i>Eucalyptus</i> genus of plants

Eucalyptus is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae commonly known as eucalypts. Plants in the genus Eucalyptus have bark that is smooth, fibrous or stringy, leaves with oil glands, and sepals and petals that are fused to form a "cap" or operculum over the stamens. The fruit is a woody capsule commonly referred to as a "gumnut". Australia is covered by 92,000,000 hectares of eucalypt forest, comprising three quarters of the area covered by native forest.

Contents

Composition

Astringent tannin compounds are a major active component of kinos. [3] The chief constituent of kino is kinotannic acid, of which it contains 70 to 80 per cent. It also contains kino red, a phlobaphene produced from kinotannic acid by oxidation. [4] Kino also yields kinoin, a crystalline neutral principle. [2]

Tannin class of astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic chemical compounds

Tannins are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.

Kinotannic acid is the chief constituent of the kino gum, of which it contains 70 to 80 per cent. Kino also contains kino red, a phlobaphene produced from kinotannic acid by oxidation. It is closely related to the tannin from catechu; its non-glucosidal nature was established by Bergholz.

Phlobaphene

Phlobaphenes are reddish, alcohol-soluble and water-insoluble phenolic substances. They can be extracted from plants, or be the result from treatment of tannin extracts with mineral acids. The name phlobaphen come from the Greek roots φλoιὀς (phloios) meaning bark and βαφή (baphe) meaning dye.

In cold water it is only partially dissolved, leaving a pale flocculent residue which is soluble in boiling water but deposited again upon cooling. It is soluble in alcohol and caustic alkalis, but not in ether. [2]

Alcohol any organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group (–OH) is bound to a saturated carbon atom

In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which the hydroxyl functional group (–OH) is bound to a carbon. The term alcohol originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol, which is used as a drug and is the main alcohol present in alcoholic beverages. An important class of alcohols, of which methanol and ethanol are the simplest members, includes all compounds for which the general formula is CnH2n+1OH. It is these simple monoalcohols that are the subject of this article.

In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal chemical element. An alkali also can be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0. The adjective alkaline is commonly, and alkalescent less often, used in English as a synonym for basic, especially for bases soluble in water. This broad use of the term is likely to have come about because alkalis were the first bases known to obey the Arrhenius definition of a base, and they are still among the most common bases.

Ether class of organic compounds

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula R–O–R′, where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be classified into two varieties: if the alkyl groups are the same on both sides of the oxygen atom, then it is a simple or symmetrical ether, whereas if they are different, the ethers are called mixed or unsymmetrical ethers. A typical example of the first group is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether" (CH3–CH2–O–CH2–CH3). Ethers are common in organic chemistry and even more prevalent in biochemistry, as they are common linkages in carbohydrates and lignin.

When exuding from the tree, it resembles red-currant jelly, but hardens in a few hours after exposure to the air and sun. [2] Kinos typically dry to an amber-like material. [5] It consists of dark red angular fragments, rarely larger than a pea. [6] Of the small angular glistening fragments, the smaller are reddish, and the larger are almost black; thin pieces are ruby red. It is brittle and easily powdered. It has no smell, but a very astringent taste. [7]

Amber Fossilized tree resin

Amber is fossilized tree resin, which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects. Amber is used in jewelry. It has also been used as a healing agent in folk medicine.

Applications and sources

Kinos are used in medicine, tanning, [3] and as dyes. [7] Kino was introduced to European medicine in 1757 by John Fothergill. When described by him, it was believed to have been brought from the river Gambia in West Africa, and when first imported it was sold in England as Gummi rubrum astringens gambiense. It was obtained from Pterocarpus erinaceus . In the early 20th century, the drug recognized as the legitimate kind was East Indian, Malabar or Amboyna kino which is the evaporated juice obtained from incisions in the trunk of Pterocarpus marsupium . [2] In addition to kinos from these two species, Bengal or Butea kino from Butea frondosa and Australian, Botany Bay, or Eucalyptus kino from Eucalyptus resinifera , the brown gum tree, were imported into the United States. [6] A West Indian or Jamaica kino is believed to be the product of Coccoloba uvifera , or seaside grape. It is possible that the same plant is the source of the South American kino. [8]

John Fothergill (physician) English physician and plant collector

John Fothergill FRS was an English physician, plant collector, philanthropist and Quaker. His medical writings were influential, and he built up a sizeable botanic garden in what is now West Ham Park in London.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

<i>Pterocarpus erinaceus</i> species of plant

Pterocarpus erinaceus is a species of tree that is native to the Sahelian region of West Africa. It is used for fuel wood, for medicinal purposes, as a woodworking material, and is useful as a nitrogen-fixing plant to improve nutrient-depleted farming land. It has several common names, including barwood, African kino tree, muninga, and vène; mukwa is used for this species as well as other Pterocarpus. Groves of the tree can be found on the savannahs of West Africa, but it is becoming increasingly rare and is sometimes cultivated. The tree also grows in forests of Comoé National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, a region geographically close to the Sahel but with a higher moisture regime due to its location between two large rivers. Also, the tree grows in abundance in Kurmi Local Govt. of Taraba State in Nigeria. The tree grows to about 11 meters in height on average, and bears dark, scaly bark and yellow flowers. The fruits are winged pods. P. erinaceus grows well on sunny, hot African plains with long dry seasons and frequent fires.

Kino is not absorbed at all from the stomach and only very slowly from the intestine. The drug was frequently used in diarrhoea, its value being due to the relative insolubility of kinotannic acid, which enabled it to affect the lower part of the intestine. In this respect it is similar to catechu. It ceased being used as a gargle when antiseptics became recognized as the rational treatment for sore throat. [2] A medicinal tincture of kino was used as a gargle for the relaxation of the uvula; it contained kino, glycerin, alcohol, and water. [7]

Catechu extract of acacia trees used variously as a food additive, astringent, tannin, and dye

Catechu is an extract of acacia trees used variously as a food additive, astringent, tannin, and dye. It is extracted from several species of Acacia, but especially Senegalia catechu, by boiling the wood in water and evaporating the resulting brew. It is also known as cutch, black cutch, cachou, cashoo, khoyer, terra Japonica, or Japan earth, and also katha in Hindi, kaath in Marathi, khoyer in Assamese and Bengali, and kachu in Malay.

As they are usually soluble in water, kinos found use in traditional remedies: Eucalyptus kino is used by Australian aborigines in a tea for treating colds. [5]

Kino was employed to a considerable extent in the East Indies as a cotton dye, giving to the cotton the yellowish-brown color known as nankeen. [7]

Notes

  1. ↑ A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wikisource-logo.svg Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Kino". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  3. 1 2 Edited by Pearsall, J., and Trumble, B., The Oxford English Reference Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Second Edition, 1996, ISBN   0-19-860046-1
  4. ↑ Kino on www.henriettesherbal.com
  5. 1 2 Aboriginal People and Their Plants, by Philip A. Clarke, p.104
  6. 1 2 Wikisource-logo.svg  Reynolds, Francis J., ed. (1921). "Kino". Collier's New Encyclopedia . New York: P.F. Collier & Son Company.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Wikisource-logo.svg  Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Kino". New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
  8. ↑ Wikisource-logo.svg Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Kino". The American Cyclopædia .

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<i>Eucalyptus globulus</i> species of plant

Eucalyptus globulus, known as the Tasmanian bluegum or Southern blue gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They typically grow from 30–55 m (98–180 ft) tall. The tallest currently known specimen in Tasmania is 90.7 m (298 ft) tall. There are historical claims of even taller trees, the tallest being 101 m (331 ft). The natural distribution of the species includes Tasmania and southern Victoria. There are also isolated occurrences on King Island and Flinders Island in Bass Strait and on the summit of the You Yangs near Geelong.

<i>Butea monosperma</i> species of plant

Butea monosperma is a species of Butea native to tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, ranging across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and western Indonesia. Common names include flame-of-the-forest and bastard teak.

<i>Corymbia calophylla</i> treee found in Western Australia

Corymbia calophylla is a species of tree, common in the southwest of Australia. Originally described as a species of Eucalyptus, it is commonly named as marri in preference to red gum.

<i>Pterocarpus marsupium</i> species of plant

Pterocarpus marsupium, also known as Malabar kino, Indian kino tree, or vijayasar, is a medium to large, deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) tall. It is native to India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. It is also known by the names benga, bijiayasal, piasal - ପିଆଶାଳ (Oriya), venkai, and many others.

Bloodwood Wikimedia disambiguation page

Bloodwood is a common name for several unrelated trees, including:

<i>Corymbia citriodora</i> species of plant

Corymbia citriodora is a tall tree, growing to 35 metres (115 ft) in height, from temperate and tropical north eastern Australia. It is also known as lemon-scented gum, blue spotted gum, lemon eucalyptus and eucalyptus citriodora.

<i>Tara spinosa</i> species of plant

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<i>Corymbia polycarpa</i> Species of plant

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<i>Corymbia aparrerinja</i> species of plant

Corymbia aparrerinja commonly known as ghost gum, is an evergreen tree that is native to Central Australia.

<i>Corymbia opaca</i> species of plant

Corymbia opaca, also known as the desert bloodwood, is a tree native to Australia. The tree is most well known for the distinctive red kino that it exudes. Australian Aboriginal people collect bush coconuts from the tree, which are produced by an insect in gall.

<i>Corymbia terminalis</i> species of plant

Corymbia terminalis, also known as tjuta, joolta, bloodwood, desert bloodwood, plains bloodwood, northern bloodwood, western bloodwood or the inland bloodwood, is a tree native to Australia.

<i>Corymbia erythrophloia</i> species of plant

Corymbia erythrophloia, commonly known as the variable-barked bloodwood, the red-barked bloodwood, the gum-topped bloodwood or the red bloodwood, is a bloodwood native to Queensland, Australia.

References

Further reading

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