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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on naturally-occurring resins.
Phyllanthus emblica, also known as emblic, emblic myrobalan, myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Malacca tree, or amla from Sanskrit amalaki is a deciduous tree of the family Phyllanthaceae. It has edible fruit, referred to by the same name.
An astringent is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin adstringere, which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian plant, are astringents.
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.
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.
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.
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 is a common name for several unrelated trees, including:
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.
Tara spinosa, commonly known as tara (Quechua), is a small leguminous tree or thorny shrub native to Peru. T. spinosa is cultivated as a source of tannins based on a galloylated quinic acid structure. This chemical structure has been confirmed also by LC-MS. It is also grown as an ornamental plant because of its large colorful flowers and pods.
Corymbia polycarpa, also known as the long-fruited bloodwood or small-flowered bloodwood is a bloodwood native to northern Australia. Indigenous Australians of different language groups have different names for the tree. The Nungali peoples know the tree as narrga or gunjid, the Mulluk-Mulluk know it as dawart, the Yangman know it as bodog, the Gurindji peoples as jadburru and the Wagiman as jagatjjin.
Corymbia aparrerinja commonly known as ghost gum, is an evergreen tree that is native to Central Australia.
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.
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.
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.
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