Daemonorops draco.  血 竭 Xuè jié    Dragons blood   Family Palmaceae             
Dragon's Blood, as known in commerce, has several origins, the substance so named being contributed by widely differing species. Probably the best known is that from Sumatra. Daemomorops draco formerly known as Calamus draco, was transferred with many others of the species to Daemomorops, the chief distinguishing mark being the placing of the flowers along the branches instead of their being gathered into catkins, as in those remaining under Calamus.
Other sources of Dragons blood include the genuses of Calamus, Croton, Dracaena, Pterocarpus.
PART USED: Resin- Produced by the fruits, softened with water and pressed and dried.
Nature- neutral   FLAVOR: Pleasant and salty  CHANNELS: Heart, Liver
FUNCTIONS
GROUP- Regulate Blood
1. Activate Blood. Resolves bruises, promotes tissue granulation.[1]
2. Stimulates blood circulation and alleviates pain.[1] External use stops bleeding and aids healing.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Menstrual irregularities, chest pains, post partum abdominal cramps, traumatic injuries.[1]
PREPARATIONS: Decoction 0.9-2.5 g for each dose. For external use, suitable amount.[1]
Information on preparation pdf.[2]
         
DESCRIPTION: The tree has a single or multiple trunk growing up to 12 m tall. It has a slow growth requiring 10 years to reach 1 m in height. The leaves are dark green tinged with red at the base, arranged in dense rosettes at the end of the branches. The flowers are very fragrant and form large clusters of greenish white petals. The fruit is orange-red berries with a single seed 3-4 cm in diameter and has a thick red colored resin collected over it. The resin collected from the wounded trunk, branch or fruit is dark red colored and is called Dragon's blood.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents.
Research.

Single-step purification of dracorhodin from dragon's blood resin of Daemonorops draco using high-speed counter-current chromatography combined with pH modulation.
Shi J, Hu R, Lu Y, Sun C, Wu T.
Abstract
Dracorhodin is a major constituent found in "Dragon's blood" resin of Daemonorops draco Willd. Blume. This natural flavylium compound is a potent pharmaceutical substance due to its biological and pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor and cytotoxic activity. An effective high-speed counter-current chromatography method was successfully established for the isolation and purification of dracorhodin directly from extract of D. draco by using a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (2:3:2:3 v/v). Under the optimal conditions, 6.6 mg dracorhodin was obtained from 100 mg crude resin. The isolated fraction of counter-current chromatography was determined by HPLC, NMR, UV/visible and ESI/MS combined with pH modulation, since dracorhodin is unstable in solution which exists in different forms depending on pH values. The data were compared with those of the reference substance, and the literatures as well. The purity of dracorhodin was over 98% based on the HPLC result.
PMID: 19877147 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.200900392 J Sep Sci. 2009 Dec;32(23-24):4040-7. doi: 10.1002/jssc.200900392. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sanguis draconis (Daemonorops draco): a case report of treating a chronic pressure ulcer with tunneling.
Ji S1, Zhang G, Hua Y, Jin X.
Abstract
Pressure ulcers are a frequently encountered difficulty in clinical nursing care. In cases of pressure ulcers, continued pressure on soft tissue leads to pathological processes in affected tissues that include ischemia and hypoxia, nutritional and metabolic disorders, and degeneration and necrosis. Pressure ulcers are a common clinical complication. In February 2013, our department admitted a patient with Parkinson's disease who suffered from a chronic pressure ulcer with tunneling. This patient was given an integrative therapy treatment protocol that consisted of external applications of a phytomedicine called sanguis draconis, combined with a series of conventional treatments, including local oxygen therapy, custom-built vacuum aspiration, and anti-infection therapies. The patient's integrative treatment program resulted in complete amelioration of the pressure ulceration. The following sections describe the nursing experiences associated with this case study.
PMID: 25470480 DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000063 Holist Nurs Pract. 2015 Jan-Feb;29(1):48-52. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000063. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparison of the chemical profiles and anti-platelet aggregation effects of two "Dragon's Blood" drugs used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Yi T, Chen HB, Zhao ZZ, Yu ZL, Jiang ZH.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
"Dragon's Blood" has been used as a medicine since ancient times by many cultures. In traditional Chinese medicine, the resin obtained from Daemonorops draco (RDD) and the resin from Dracaena cochinchinensis (RDC) are equally prescribed as "Dragon's Blood" for facilitating blood circulation.
AIM OF THE STUDY:
To verify the traditional efficacy and elucidate the mechanism, the present study compared the chemical profiles and the pharmacological effects of two species of "Dragon's Blood" mainly used in China.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A UPLC-MS fingerprinting method was developed to compare the chemical profiles of the two medicines. The anti-platelet aggregation effects of the two medicines induced by arachidonic acid (AA) were investigated.
RESULTS:
The chemical profiles of these two species of "Dragon's Blood" were significantly different. The characteristic constituents were found to be: flavanes in RDD and stilbenes in RDC. In the in vivo platelet inhibition test, performed with the dose of 200 mg/kg on rats, the peak inhibitory effects of RDD and RDC were 35.8% and 27.6%, respectively, compared with the control group. With the in vitro concentrations of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/ml, RDD exerted significant inhibition of aggregation by 18.7%, 20.0%, and 61.6%, respectively, and RDC exerted significant inhibition of aggregation by 13.3%, 20.2%, and 31.6%, respectively.
CONCLUSION:
The fingerprinting method used here is suitable for distinguishing them. All pharmacological tests indicated that RDD was more potent than RDC against platelet aggregation.
PMID: 21073937 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.11.008 J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 27;133(2):796-802. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.11.008. Epub 2010 Nov 10. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Sanguis Draconis resin stimulates osteoblast alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization in MC3T3-E1 cells.
Wang W, Olson D, Cheng B, Guo X, Wang K.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
Sanguis Draconis (SD), "Dragon's Blood", is a resin that is obtained from Daemonorops draco (Palmae). Used in traditional medicine, it has shown activity in the prevention of osteoporosis as well as promoting the healing of bone fractures.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
In this study, the effects of Sanguis Dranonis ethanol extract on ß-glycerolphosphate and ascorbic acid induced differentiation using mouse calvaria origin MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells was examined. We looked at osteoblast differentiation, proliferation, and mineralization by measuring alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and specific bone marker activities. Osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured in various concentrations of SD ethanol extract (0.005-1mg/mL) during the osteoblast differentiation period (1, 5, 15, and 25 days).
RESULTS:
As measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-y]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, SD extracts increased cell proliferation as compared to control. The most pronounced effect was observed at the concentration range between 0.01 and 0.1 mg/mL (P<0.01). This SD stimulatory effect for cell proliferation was observed during the whole osteogenic period. Cellular (synthesized) ALP activity was increased during 15 days of culture, and was confirmed by the staining of ALP activity on cell matrix layers for matrix calcification. SD stimulatory effect for cell mineralization we observed in 14 and 21 days. Elevated mRNA or protein levels of bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP 2), the differentiation marker osteocalcin, osteopontin, collgen I, and a master osteogenic transcription factor, Runx2, were observed in SD-treated cells.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that SD may increase osteogenic effect by stimulating cell ALP activity and affect the BMP signaling pathway cascades in osteoblastic cells, then promotes osteoblast differentiation, mineralization, and bone formation.
PMID: 22543168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.04.033 J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Jun 26;142(1):168-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.04.033. Epub 2012 Apr 21. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Isolation and anticoagulant properties of polysaccharides of Math Eq and Math Eq species
Ana Gibbs, Cleveland Green, V.M Doctor
Abstract
Polysaccharides were isolated from Dragon's Blood (DB), a red resinous secretion from the fruits of Math Eq species and from pollens of Math Eq (TA) by alcohol precipitation followed by deaminoethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose chromatography. The purified polysaccharides of DB and TA gave specific rotations of [a]D20 64 and [a]D20 of 80 and their molecular weights by membrane osmometry were ~25000 and ~30000 respectively. The effect of addition of the polysaccharides on coagulation of pooled normal human plasma was investigated. They were found to accelerate the recalcified plasma times at concentrations below 100 µg/ml while inhibiting them at higher concentrations. Their procoagulant properties were due to their effects on the activation of Hageman factor (XII) while the anticoagulant effect was mainly directed towards fibrinogen. Studies of the mechanism of the anticoagulant effect showed that addition of TA polysaccharide inhibited the rate of release of fibrinopeptides by thrombin and also the aggregation of fibrin monomers. October 15, 1983Volume 32, Issue 2, Pages 97–108
PlumX Metrics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0049-3848(83)90021-X thrombosisresearch.com