Introduction to At-Home Treatment of Diphtheria and Major Childhood Infections
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are derivatives of quinine, a natural substance that’s found in Cinchona officinalis bark. Cinchona officinalis contains a number of medicinal substances, but quinine is perhaps the most famous of these. Quinine has always worked better and it has fewer side effects than its synthetic cousins chloroquine and hydroxychlorquine, but it was thrown to the wayside many years ago because it was not patentable, and therefore not as profitable as synthetic derivatives. But today, the Internet has made it possible for people to become aware of quinine again as a natural, at-home treatment for diseases. For childhood disease, Cinchona bark may be a better choice as it is a powerful herbal remedy for many childhood infectious diseases (and some chronic ones), but we’ll discuss both quinine and Cinchona bark so that parents can decide for themselves which type of treatment is right for their family.
Click here to schedule a health coaching call with us.
There is a connection between malaria and cancer that involves iron. Cancer cells, like many infectious bacteria, are iron-loving and they require iron in order to survive. This explains why quinine can be used as an herbal cure for cancer. Though we don’t focus on the malaria-cancer connection in our writing on the topic of quinine and Cinchona bark, readers should know that the quinine-artemisinin or Cinchona bark - Artemisia annua treatments for cancer are powerful and worth considering as at-home treatments for cancer.Click here to buy Cinchona bark tincture.
Again, though we’re focused primarily in our writing here about Cinchona bark / quinine and how it works in the body to overcome infection, in our discussion, we also explain how Cinchona might be used to overcome autoimmune disorders as well. Cinchona bark and quinine are anti-arrhythmia agents and those with Long COVID or Post-COVID Vaccine Syndrome involving the heart should look closely at Cinchona and quinine. If you’re not familiar with autoimmune disease as a manifestation of low-level infection in the body, I hope that our efforts in this discussion will help you understand this idea better and how and why you can treat autoimmune disease using quinine and artemisinin or Cinchona bark and Artemisia annua.
Click here to buy Artemisia Annua.
Resources:
• De Alameida Basano, S. (n.d.). Antimalarials and the Fight Against Malaria in Brazil. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Quinine-7-day-monotherapy-in-children_tbl4_26811098
• No Author (1926). Mortality from Diphtheria Decreasing. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.16.6.621
• Chun, N. et al. (2025). Anemia Due to Unexpected Zinc-Induced Copper Deficiency. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://www.mdpi.com/2038-8330/17/4/35
• Ofodile, N. (2025). Antimicrobial Activity of Some Ganoderma species from Nigeria. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344178693_Antimicrobial_Activity_of_Some_Ganoderma_species_from_Nigeria
• Linus Pauling Institute (2026)). Copper. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/copper#:~:text=Adequate%20copper%20nutritional%20status%20is,absorption%20in%20infants%20(24).
• Olsnes, S. and Sandvig, K. (1986). Interactions between diphtheria toxin entry and anion transport in Vero cells. II. Inhibition of anion antiport by diphtheria toxin. Retrieved January 6, 2025 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3944101/#:~:text=Abstract,ability%20to%20bind%20the%20toxin.
• Ferrer, P. et al. (2012). Antimalarial Iron Chelator, FBSO701, Shows Asexual and Gametocyte Plasmodium falciparum Activity and Single Oral Dose Cure in a Murine Malaria Model. Retrieved January 7, 2025 from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0037171#:~:text=Iron%20metabolism%20is%20a%20proven,severe%20cerebral%20malaria%20%5B5%5D.
• Shoji, O. (2023). Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry III (3rd Ed): Bioinorganic Chemistry and Homogenous Biomimetic Inorganic Catalysis. Retrieved January 7, 2025 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/protoporphyrin-ix#:~:text=Abstract,molecules)%20are%20briefly%20covered%20herein.
• Kremyanskaya, M. (2025). Modulators of the Hepcidin Pathway in Polycythemia Vera and Myelofibrosis. Retrieved January 7, 2025 from https://ashpublications.org/blood/article-abstract/doi/10.1182/blood.2025028643/547823/Modulators-of-the-Hepcidin-Pathway-in-Polycythemia?redirectedFrom=fulltext
• Mabasa, V. et al. (2025). Expression of salivary hepcidin and its inducer, interleukin 6 as well as type I interferons are significantly elevated in infants with poor oral rotavirus vaccine take in South Africa. Retrieved January 7, 2025 from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1517893/full
• Latarissa, I. R. et al. (2021). Potential of Quinine Sulfate for COVID-19 Treatment and Its Safety Profile: Review. Retrieved January 7, 2025 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8665662/
• Setz, C. (2025). Synergistic Antiviral Activity of European Black Elderberry Fruit Extract and Quinine Against SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus. Retrieved January 11, 2026, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390331702_Synergistic_Antiviral_Activity_of_European_Black_Elderberry_Fruit_Extract_and_Quinine_Against_SARS-CoV-2_and_Influenza_A_Virusa
• Workman, A. D. et al. (2018). The Role of Quinine-Responsive Taste Receptor Family 2 in Airway Immune Defense and Chronic Rhinosinusitis. Retrieved January 13, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5882797/
• Penn Medicine (n.d.). Is quinine the tonic for COVID-19? Retrieved January 13, 2026 from https://www3.pennmedicine.org/departments-and-centers/otorhinolaryngology/about-us/newsletters/archive/2021-newsletters/quinine-the-tonic-for-covid19
• Rezaie, P. et al. (2022). Quinine Effects on Gut and Pancreatic Hormones and Antropyloroduodenal Pressures in Humans - Role of Delivery Site and Sex. Retrieved January 13, 2025 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9250303/
• Soremekun, R. O. et al. (2012). Formulation of quinine suppository for initiation of early treatment of malaria – a preliminary study. Retrieved January 13, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11153357/
• Lamichhane, A. & Radhakrishnan, S. (2024). Diphtheria. Retrieved January 13, 2026 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560911/
• Putrino, D., Proal, A. and Doerstling, M. (n.d.). Lumbrokinase LongCOVID & ME/CFS clinical trial. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://polybio.org/projects/lumbrokinase-longcovid-me-cfs-clinical-trial/
• Nygaard, T. K. et al. (2025). Hemolysis of Human Erythrocytes by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus is Primarily Caused by PSMalpha Peptides. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from mdpi.com/2072-6651/17/11/529#:~:text=Key%20Contribution:%20This%20investigation%20demonstrates,resistant%20Staphylococcus%20aureus%20(MRSA).
• Lyman, L. R. et al. (2018). Corynebacterium diphtheria Iron-Regulated Surface Protein HbpA Is Involved in the Utilization of the Hemoglobin-Haptoglobin Complex as an Iron Source. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5847658/#:~:text=ABSTRACT,hemin%20as%20an%20iron%20source.
• Murphy, J. R. (1996). Medical Microbiology 4th Ed. Chapter 32 - Corynebacterium Diphtheriae. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7971/#:~:text=Diphtheria%20toxin%20can%20be%20proteolytically,protein%20synthesis%20in%20eukaryotic%20cells.
• Kandi, V. and Vaish, R. (2019). Diphtheria or Streptococcal Pharyngitis: A Case Report Highlighting the Diagnostic Dilemma in the Post-Vaccination Era. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6919956/
• Rhoads, P. S. (1927). The Incidence of Scarlet Fever Streptococci in Throats of Diphtheria Patients. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://www.jstor.org/stable/30080711?seq=1
• Muñoz, R. et al. (1996). Quinine specifically inhibits the proteolipid subunit of the FOF1 H+-ATPase of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8636056/
• Kamat, S. and Kumari, M. (2021). Repurposing Chloroquine Against Multiple Diseases With Special Attention to SARS-CoV-2 and Associated Toxicity. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.576093/full
• Wolf, R. et al. (2002). Quinine sulfate and bacterial invasion. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC149380/
• Rattanachak, N. et al. (2022). Hydroquinine Possesses Antibacterial Activity, and at Half the MIC, Induces the Overexpression of RND-Type Efflux Pumps Using Multiplex Digital PCR in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Retrieved January 14, 2025 from https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/7/8/156
• Behere, D. V. and Goff, H. M. (1984). High-affinity binding of quinine to iron (III) porphyrins: novel formation of alkoxide complexes from alcohols and amines. Retrieved January 14, 2026 from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja00329a053
• Dubey, A. and Singh, Y. (2021). Medicinal Properties of Cinchona Alkaloids - A Brief Review. Retrieved January 15, 2026 from https://ajpsonline.com/HTMLPaper.aspx?Journal=Asian%20Journal%20of%20Research%20in%20Pharmaceutical%20Sciences;PID=2021-11-3-8#:~:text=In%20excess%20of%2020%20alkaloids,%2C%20cinchonine%2C%20quinidine%20and%20cinchonidine.
• Zaher, S. R. et al. (1993). Coxsackie virus infections in rheumatic fever. Retrieved January 15, 2026 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8244506/
• Root-Bernstein, R. et al. (2009). Antigenic complementarity between coxsackie virus and streptococcus in the induction of rheumatic heart disease and autoimmune myocarditis. Retrieved January 15, 2026 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18608177/
• Pukrittayakamee, S. et al. (2000). Therapeutic Responses to Quinine and Clindamycin in Multidrug-Resistant Falciparum Malaria. Retrieved January 15, 2026 from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC90075/#:~:text=These%20regimens%20yield%20high%20cure,falciparum.
