Select {responseValue} It protected Europeans from the malaria carried by African mosquitoes.
The discovery of quinine, derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, allowed Europeans to effectively combat malaria, a major health threat in many parts of Africa. This made it safer for European colonizers and explorers to venture into interior regions, facilitating further exploration, colonization, and exploitation of African resources. Thus, quinine played a significant role in the expansion of European imperialism in Africa.