quina

Quina is a term with several distinct meanings across domains. In botany and pharmacology, quina or quina-quina refers to the bark of Cinchona trees, a group of flowering plants native to the Andean regions of South America. The bark contains quinine, an alkaloid long used to treat malaria and, in modern practice, employed selectively in antimalarial therapy and as a flavoring agent in tonic water. The Cinchona genus belongs to the Rubiaceae family, and its species, such as Cinchona officinalis and related taxa, were historically crucial in the development of modern medicine.

In popular culture, Quina Quen is a character in the role-playing video game Final Fantasy IX. Quina belongs to the Qu race and is portrayed as a gourmand whose abilities and dialogue revolve around food. The character is recognized for humorous, eccentric lines and a distinctive culinary motif.

The term Quina may also appear in other contexts as a proper name or nickname in various languages, or as a shortened form of terms like quina-quina in Portuguese, referring to quinine-containing preparations. Given its disparate uses, the meaning of Quina is best determined from context.