Medicinal Uses of Trees

Although the bark and wood of trees is seldom edible, extracts from them have given rise to some of the world's most important medicines.

For centuries the only known treatment for malaria was quinine, an alkaloid found in the bark of the evergreen cinchona tree , which grows in the tropical forests of Bolivia and Peru. Quinine was first used to treat malaria by the Quechua Indians. In the 16th century the Spanish Conquistadors realized its potential. Quinine has been chemically reproduced since the 1940's. However, in recent years some forms of malaria have developed resistance to synthetic quinine and the cinchona tree has once again become the center of attention

Before aspirin came in bottles, aches and pains could be cured by walking to the nearest river and finding a piece of willow bark to chew on. Aspirin is a derivative of salicylic acid, which comes from the bark of the white willow, Salix alba. In this day and age aspirin is produced synthetically.

The maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba, has long been used for medicinal purposes. The leaves have been a tradition of Chinese herbal medicine and used to treat everything from asthma to hemorrhoids. Now maidenhair tree leaves have found their way into western medicine and are used to treat memory loss and coronary conditions. Fluid extracted from the leaves helps to improve blood circulation. It relaxes blood vessels, enhancing blood flow throughout the body

More than 2,000 different types of trees are currently used for medicinal purposes. Many, such as the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, are helping in the fight against cancer. Castanospermum australe, the Australian Moreton Bay Chestnut, contains an unusual alkaloid called castanospermine, which is able to help neutralize the AIDS virus HIV. Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, is a tree with strong antiseptic qualities

The Cherokee Native American Tribe made a 'tea' of the leaves, which they used to wash sores and wounds Another important tree species is Eucalyptus globulus. Its leaves contain the oil cineol, which is very effective in the treatment of coughs, sore throats, bronchitis and asthma