quinaselike

Quinaselike is an informal descriptor used in chemistry and pharmacology to indicate resemblance to quinine or to quinoline alkaloids. The term derives from quina, the source of quinine, with the suffix -like signaling similarity rather than identity. It has no formal definition in IUPAC nomenclature, so its exact meaning depends on context and author.

In practice, quinaselike may refer to structural features such as a quinoline-type heterocycle coordinated to a basic amine, or to pharmacophore features that resemble the essential elements believed to contribute to quinine’s biological activity. The usage often appears in discussions of natural products, synthetic analogs, and structure–activity relationships, where a compound is described as quinaselike if it shares key motifs or predicted activities with quinine.

Because quinaselike is informal, statements about a compound’s quinaselike nature typically require supporting data. This may include structural evidence from spectroscopic methods, crystallography, or computational modeling, as well as biological or pharmacological assays that demonstrate similarity in activity or mechanism.

See also: quinoline, alkaloid, quinine, heterocycle, structure–activity relationship.