Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Croton
Species: lechleri, salutaris, planostigma
Synonyms: Croton draco
Common Names: Sangre de grado, sangre de
drago, dragon’s blood, drago, sangue de drago,
sangue de agua
Part Used: Bark, resin/sap
Contraindications: None reported.
Drug Interactions: None reported.
Documented Properties & Actions:
Antibacterial, anti-diarrheal, antifungal, antihemorrhagic,
anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antioxidant, antitumorous,
antiviral, cicatrizant, hemostatic, vulnerary.
Plant Chemicals Include:
Alpha-calacorene, alpha-copaene, alpha-pinene, alpha-thujene,
beta-caryophyllene, beta-elemene, beta-pinene, betaine,
bincatriol, borneol, calamenene, camphene, catechins,
cedrucine, crolechinic acid, cuparophenol, D-limonene,
daucosterol, dihydrobenzofuran, dimethylcedrusine,
dipentene, eugenol, euparophenol, gallocatechin, gamma-terpinene,
gamma-terpineol, hardwickiic acid, isoboldine, korberin
A & B, lignin, linalool, magnoflorine, methylthymol,
myrcene, norisoboldine, p-cymene, proanthocyanidins,
procyanidins, resin, tannin, taspine, terpinen-4-ol,
vanillin.
Sangre de grado is a medium-sized to large tree that
grows from 10–20 m high in the upper Amazon
region of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Although tall,
the trunk is usually less than 30 cm in diameter and
is covered by smooth, mottled bark. It has large,
heart-shaped, bright-green leaves and unique, greenish-white
flowers on long stalks. Its Peruvian name, sangre
de grado, means “blood of the dragon”
(in Spanish). In Ecuador, it’s named sangre
de drago (which means “dragon’s blood”
as well). When the trunk of the tree is cut or wounded,
a dark red, sappy resin oozes out as if the tree is
bleeding—earning this local name. The genus
Croton is a large one, with 750 species of trees and
shrubs distributed across the tropical and subtropical
regions of both hemispheres. Crotons are rich in active
alkaloids, and several species are well-known medicinal
plants used as purgatives and tonics.
Sangre de grado’s red sap or latex (and also
its bark) has a long history of indigenous use in
the rainforest and in South America. The earliest
written reference dates its use to the 1600s, when
Spanish naturalist and explorer P. Bernabé
Cobo found that the curative power of the sap was
widely known throughout the indigenous tribes of Mexico,
Peru, and Ecuador. For centuries, the sap has been
painted on wounds to staunch bleeding, to accelerate
healing, and to seal and protect injuries from infection.
The sap dries quickly and forms a barrier, much like
a “second skin.” It is used externally
by indigenous tribes and local people in Peru for
wounds, leucorrhea, fractures, and hemorrhoids, as
well as internally for intestinal and stomach ulcers.
Other indigenous uses include treating intestinal
fevers and pyorrhea, in vaginal baths before and after
childbirth, for hemorrhaging after childbirth, and
for skin disorders.
Sangre de grado resin and bark are used in traditional
medicine in South America today in much the same manner
as indigenous ones. In Peruvian herbal medicine it
is recommended for hemorrhaging, as an antiseptic
vaginal douche and, topically, for healing wounds.
It is also used internally for ulcers in the mouth,
throat, intestines and stomach; as an antiviral for
upper respiratory viruses, stomach viruses and HIV;
internally and externally for cancer and, topically,
for such skin disorders as eczema (as well as insect
bites and stings). In Brazilian traditional medicine
the sap currently is used for wounds, hemorrhaging,
diarrhea, mouth ulcers, and as a general tonic.
Sangre de grado resin or sap is a storehouse of phytochemicals
including proanthocyanidins (antioxidants), simple
phenols, diterpenes, phytosterols, and biologically
active alkaloids and lignans. They were reported in
research over the years, some of which validated sangre
de grado’s ancient history of use as a wound
healer. Scientists have attributed many of the biologically
active properties of the sap (especially its wound-healing
capacity) to two main “active” constituents:
an alkaloid named taspine, and a dihydorbenzofuran
lignan named dimethylcedrusine.
Of course, botanists, herbalists, and naturopaths
would disagree with such reductionist conclusions
(and often do); in this particular case, the matter
is actually proven by science. Noted author and ex-USDA
economic botanist Dr. James Duke summed this up eloquently,
saying, “I like the comments on dragon’s
blood, and would add one further note: in addition
to the proanthocyanadins (including Pycnogenol) and
taspine, there's another active ingredient - dimethylcedrusine.
While each of these alone - dimethylcedrusine, Pycnogenol
and taspine - was shown to effectively heal wounded
rats (with squares of skin exfoliated, i.e., peeled
off) by European scientists, the whole dragon's blood
was shown to speed healing four times faster. The
whole was better than the sum of its parts. Synergy
makes the whole herb stronger; diversity makes the
rainforest stronger".
The taspine alkaloid from sangre de grado was first
documented with anti-inflammatory actions in 1979.
In 1985 taspine was documented with anti-inflammatory,
antitumorous (against sarcomas), and antiviral actions.
The cicatrizant or wound-healing action of sangre
de grado resin first was related to the alkaloid taspine
in 1989. Several later studies also concentrated on
the wound-healing and antitumorous properties of taspine.
The lignan dimethylcedrusine was isolated by scientists
in 1993 and was shown to play a central role in sangre
de grado’s effective wound-healing action. This
Belgian study revealed that the crude resin stimulated
contraction of wounds, helped in the formation of
a crust/scab at the wound site, regenerated skin more
rapidly, and assisted in the formation of new collagen.
This was the study to which Dr. Duke referred in documenting
that the crude resin was found to be four times more
effective at wound healing and collagen formation
than its isolated chemicals. The Belgian scientists
also determined that taspine was active against herpes
virus in this study. In 1994 other phytochemicals
were found, including phenolic compounds, proanthocyanadins,
and diterpenes, which showed potent antibacterial
activity (against E. coli and Bacillus subtilis) as
well as wound-healing properties. Another study documented
sangre de grado’s antioxidant effects and researchers
in Canada documented its antifungal properties. Another
important traditional use of the sap was verified
by clinical research in a 2000 study designed to evaluate
its gastrointestinal effects. Researchers concluded
that “Sangre de grado is a potent, cost-effective
treatment for gastrointestinal ulcers and distress
via antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and sensory
afferent-dependent actions”.
Traditional Remedy:
For external use, the resin/sap is rubbed directly
on the affected area several times daily and allowed
to dry. Please note: the resin is red! It will temporarily
stain the skin a reddish-brown (which will wash off),
but it will permanently stain clothing. For internal
use, the traditional remedy is 10–30 drops in
a small amount of liquid, taken 1–3 times daily.
For dried resin and extracts in tablets or capsules,
follow the label instructions.
Subir
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