Sangre de dragon

Palo Sangre (Brosimum rubescens)      Moraceae
ccamazonas.org.co/palosangre.htm 

Palo sangre
(Brosimum rubescens)

Madera exótica propia de la selva tropical húmeda, de color rojo, densa y muy dura.Se emplea madera de árboles derribados por el viento u otros árboles, empleando el corazón (duramen), la cual es tallada y lijada a mano.

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Pterocarpus 
seabean.com/guide/Pterocarpus_officinalis/
Pterocarpus officinalis Jacq.
SYNONYM(S) :  Pterocarpus draco L., Pterocarpus rohrii Vahl
ENGLISH :  Bloodwood, Dragon blood tree, Guadaloupe dragon's blood.
FRENCH :  Mangle médaille (Antilles), Moutouchi (Guyane), Moutouchi-rivière, Sangdragon (Antilles).
SPANISH : Bollo blanco (Colombia),  Lagunero, Palo de pollo (Puerto Rico), Palo de sangre, Sangre, Sangre de drago, Sangre de gallo.
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Nutzpflanzen und Pflanzennutzung im amazonischen Tiefland
Source

Genero correcto: Croton
Reino:Plantae
Filo:Magnoliophyta
Clase:Magnoliopsida
Orden:Euphorbiales
Familia:Euphorbiaceae
Género:Croton

Species: lechleri, salutaris, palanostigma
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
Fuente 

 MEDICINAL:- El látex de la SANGRE DE GRADO se usa principalmente como cicatrizante de heridas.- Esta planta actúa contra las úlceras estomacales, hinchazones reumáticas, afecciones dérmicas, fiebre, leucorrea, cáncer, diarrea, faringitis y amigdalitis, gonorrea, hemorroides, paludismo, tumores, anemia y úlceras estomacales e intestinales.- También se le utiliza como calmante en el sobreparto, luego de una extracción dental y como antiséptico vaginal.
AGROFORESTERÍA: En asociaciones de cultivos tales como el pijuayo, zapote y algunas especies maderables. Asimismo sirve como sombra de especies como el café y el cacao.
MADERA: Para la confección de cajones y mondadientes, y la pulpa para papel.
GENERALIDADES
La SANGRE DE GRADO se utiliza desde tiempos ancestrales en la medicina tradicional como un efectivo cicatrizante de heridas externas, contra las úlceras y otras enferemedades.En 1989 algunos científicos peruanos y norteamericanos analizaron la composición química de la planta y descubrieron el principio activo de la especie, el cual denominaron Taspina, que tiene la capacidad de propiciar la migración de fibroblastos en la piel, lo que acelera el proceso de cicatrización.
DISTRIBUCIÓN Y CULTIVO
La SANGRE DE GRADO crece en las ecorregiones de la Selva Alta y Selva Baja, tanto de manera silvestre como cultivada. Es una especie nativa, que ha sido introducida a otros países como especie ornamental.Desarrolla en climas tropical y subtropical hasta los 2,000 msnm, en suelos arcillosos a arenosos, con buen drenaje, buena aireación, y moderadamente ácidos o alcalinos. Se propaga por semillas, las mismas que deben ser sembradas al inicio de la época de lluvias.
MORFOLOGÍA
DESCRIPCIÓN: La SANGRE DE GRADO es un árbol de copa amplia y redondeada, cuya corteza, de color gris blanquecino, exuda un látex de color vino que es utilizado por la industria farmacéutica.
HOJAS: Sus hojas son alternas y cordadas, y alcanzan los 20 cm de largo y 14 de ancho.
INFLORESCENCIA: Posee una inflorescencia terminal en forma de racimos, y presenta flores de color ámbar con numerosos estambres.
FRUTOS: Sus frutos, de forma capsular, miden 3 mm de largo por 4.5 mm de ancho.
SEMILLAS: Las semillas de la SANGRE DE GRADO son lisas y su endosperma es oleaginoso.
Nombres Comunes :
- Sangre de drago, Palo de grado, Sangre de dragón.- Irare, Jimi mosho, Shawan karo (en shipibo-conibo).- Pocure, Racurana, Uksavakiro, Widnku (en amarakaeri).

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HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main Actions	Other Actions	Standard Dosage
heals wounds	kills cancer cells	Resin
stops bleeding	prevents tumor growth	Internal: 10 to 15 drops
kills bacteria	stops mutations	twice daily
kills germs		Éxternal: Apply to affected
kills fungi		area twice daily
kills viruses
relieves diarrhea
reduces inflammation
relieves itching

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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.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

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, fractures, and hemorrhoids, internally for intestinal and stomach ulcers, and as a douche for vaginal discharge. Other indigenous uses include treating intestinal fevers and inflamed or infected gums, 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 skin disorders, insect bites and stings. In Brazilian traditional medicine the sap currently is used for wounds, hemorrhaging, diarrhea, mouth ulcers, and as a general tonic.

PLANT CHEMICALS

Sangre de grado resin or sap is a storehouse of phytochemicals including proanthocyanidins (antioxidants), simple phenols, diterpenes, phytosterols, and biologically active alkaloids and lignans 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 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 main plant chemicals in sangre de grado 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, and vanillin.

BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH

The wound-healing action of sangre de grado resin was first related to the taspine alkaloid 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 (and healed wounds 10-20 times faster than using nothing at all).

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." In 2002, these same researchers reported that sangre de grado evidenced an in vitro effect against stomach cancer and colon cancer cells as well. In 2003 Italian researchers reported that the resin inhibited the growth of a human myelogenous leukemia cell line and also prevented cells from mutating in test tube studies.

Extracts of sangre de grado have demonstrated antiviral activity against influenza, parainfluenza, herpes simplex viruses I and II, and hepatitis A and B. The antiviral and anti-diarrhea properties of sangre de grado have come to the attention of the pharmaceutical industry over the last 10 years. A U.S.-based pharmaceutical company has filed patents on three pharmaceutical preparations that contain antiviral constituents and novel chemicals (a group of plant flavonoids they've named SP-303), extracted from the bark and resin of sangre de grado. Their patented drugs include an oral product for the treatment of respiratory viral infections, a topical antiviral product for the treatment of herpes, and an oral product for the treatment of persistent diarrhea. These products have been the subject of various human clinical trials. Although the immunomodulating effects of sangre de grado have not been the subject of targeted research yet, some researchers believe that the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities may provide nonspecific immune enhancement effects as well.

More recently, several scientific tests have been conducted on a proprietary sangre de grado product (made into a skin balm) which was also based on traditional uses. They reported that in pest control workers, a sangre de grado balm was preferred over placebo, for the relief of itching, pain, discomfort, swelling, and redness in response to wasps, fire ants, mosquitoes, bees, cuts, abrasions, and allergic plant reactions (poison ivy and others). Subjects reported relief within minutes, and that it provided pain relief and alleviated symptoms (itching and swelling) for up to six hours. These reported effects in humans as well as several other tests they conducted in animals and in vitro models of inflammation led them to conclude that sangre de grado prevents pain sensation by blocking the activation of nerve fibers that relay pain signals to the brain (therefore functioning as a broad-acting pain killer) as well as blocks the tissue response to a chemical released by nerves that promotes inflammation.

CURRENT PRACTICAL USES

Research has confirmed many of the indigenous uses of this powerful rainforest plant. It is a wonderful, sustainable rainforest resource that warrants consumer attention as it becomes more widely available in the marketplace. Applied directly to the affected area, it is helpful for all types of cuts, scrapes, external wounds, bites, stings, rashes, and skin problems, including skin and nail fungi. Dr. James E. Williams, O.M.D., sums up sangre de grado's many uses by natural health practitioners, stating,

"There is a wide range of potential applications for sangre de grado, including as a broad-spectrum anti-diarrheal agent from causes such as side effects of drugs, chemotherapy or radiation treatment, microbial infections of the intestine, traveler's diarrhea, and viral-induced diarrhea as in AIDS. It may also have other uses in gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative diseases. Its cytotoxic effects make it a possible antitumor agent and its cicatrizant properties provide wound-healing potential. In addition, the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of sangre de grado make it a useful compound in the clinical treatment of chronic viral diseases and as a natural antibacterial agent."

In addition, several health practitioners in the U.S. indicate benefits in using sangre de grado resin internally for diabetic neuropathy because of its previously documented effects on nerve endings, nerve pain and nerve inflammation. Benefits have also been reported with diabetes-related skin ulcers and sores (applied topically) which have refused to heal using other methods.

SANGRE DE GRADO PLANT SUMMARY

Main Preparation Method: undiluted resin is taken internally (in small amount of juice/water) or applied topically Main Actions (in order): wound healer, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, antihemorrhagic (reduces bleeding) Main Uses: to stop bleeding and to seal, and heal wounds, burns, cuts, tooth extractions for herpes virus ulcers (taken internally and applied topically) for skin fungi, rashes, and dermatitis for insect bites, poison ivy and other itchy or allergic skin reactions for stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, dysentery and diarrhea Properties/Actions Documented by Research: anesthetic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidysenteric, antifungal, antihemorrhagic (reduces bleeding), antileukemic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antitumorous, antiviral, neurasthenic (reduces nerve pain), wound healer Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use: analgesic (pain-reliever), anticancerous, anti-itch, antiulcerous, astringent, blood cleanser Cautions: The red resin stains clothes/fabric permanently.

Traditional Preparation: 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. Rubbing the resin in the palm of the hand first or directly where applied will thicken the resin into a thin, lighter colored paste, which helps form a second skin on top of a wound or rash and reduces staining. For internal use, the traditional remedy is 10-15 drops in a small amount of liquid, taken 1-3 times daily (be prepared, however; it tastes quite dreadful).

Contraindications: None reported. Drug Interactions: None reported.

WORLDWIDE ETHNOMEDICAL USES
Brazil	for bacterial infections, blood cleansing, cancer, digestive disorders, fever, fungal infections, hemorrhages, stomach ulcers, tumors, ulcer (mouth), wounds, and for its astringent (drying) effects.
Dominican Republic	for wounds, and to stop bleeding
Ecuador	for cancer, inflammation, wounds
Mexico	for fever, infected gums, wounds
Peru	for cancer, diabetes, diarrhea, eczema, fractures, fungal infections, gastrointestinal problems, hemorrhages, hemorrhoids, infections, infected gums, insect bites, laryngitis, rheumatism, skin rashes, skin cancer, throat problems, toothache, tumors, ulcers (intestinal, mouth, and stomach), vaginitis, vaginal infections, vaginal discharge, wounds, and as an antiseptic
U.S	for cancer, diabetic neuropathy, eczema, fungal infections (skin, nail & foot), hemorrhages, inflammation, insect bites, itching, pain, rashes, ulcers (intestinal, mouth, skin, and stomach), wounds, and as an antiseptic

The above text has been printed from The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs by Leslie Taylor, copyrighted © 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, including websites, without written permission.

A complete Technical Data Report is available for this plant.

† The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained in this plant database file is intended for education, entertainment and information purposes only. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace proper medical care. The plant described herein is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Please refer to our Conditions of Use for using this plant database file and web site.

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Reference Quotes on Sangre de Grado

Article: South American tree sap is a pain killer, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic, Natural Science May 15, 2000:
"Dr. John Wallace of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine predicts that every medicine cabinet and first aid kit in North America will one day be stocked with medicines containing the sap of the South American tree Croton lechleri.

Known as Sangre de Grado, Spanish for "Blood of the Dragon," because of its thick red sap, Croton lechleri grows throughout the Amazon. Its sap has been used for centuries by indigenous peoples of the Amazon as a herbal medicine to treat wounds, ease pain and relieve gastrointestinal distress. Wallace and his research team are conducting experimental research on Sangre de Grado as a potent inhibitor of inflammation and pain.

“Not only does Sangre de Grado prevent pain sensation, it also blocks the tissue response to a chemical released by nerves that promotes inflammation. There is currently no other substance that we know of that shares these same activities,” says Wallace. In laboratory tests, Wallace’s research team has demonstrated that Sangre de Grado blocks the activation of nerve fibers that relay pain signals to the brain, therefore functioning as a broad-acting pain killer.

In a clinical trial performed with pest control workers in Louisiana, a balm made from Sangre de Grado was found to provide relief from the bites and stings of a wide variety of insects within 90 seconds. The study further shows that Sangre de Grado offers pain relief and alleviated symptoms - itching and swelling - for up to six hours. Similar types of pain and inflammation can occur in the gastrointestinal tract - with gastritis, ulcer disease and infectious diarrhea. Wallace says, “We find that in animals with these conditions, the sap promotes gastrointestinal healing.”

Sangre de Grado has antibacterial actions, showing excellent promise as a first aid treatment for insect bites and stings, lacerations and even burns. Wallace, who performed these studies in collaboration with researchers at Albany Medical College in Albany, NY, says that isolation of the active ingredient in Sangre de Grado could lead to new therapies for a wide range of inflammatory diseases, including asthma, arthritis and ulcerative colitis.

This research is supported by the Medical Research Council and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research."

The Green Pharmacy, James A. Duke, Rodale 1997
"Dragon's blood (Croton lechleri). Several compounds in it, among them dimethylcedrusine and taspine, have antiviral and wound-healing properties that may be especially useful against the viral sores caused by herpes. The natural mixture of all three coumpounds heals wounds four times faster than the individual compounds alone. I use dragon's blood when I get cuts or abrasions in tropical Peru. Unfortunately, this herb is not widely available in the United States, although I expect that it will be soon. It is applied externally."

10. "Croton lechieri Muell.-Arg. Euphorbiaceae. "Sangre de drago", "Sangre de grado", "Dragon's blood". The latex is used to heal wounds, and for vaginal baths before childbirth. It is also recommended for intestinal and stomach ulcers (RVM). It yields the hemostatic sap that accelerates wound healing (NIC). For leucorrhea, fractures, and piles (RAR)."

17."The sangre de grado tree was only a few minutes beyond. A tall slender tree, with smooth pale bark, it didn't look at all juicy, but when Dona Luisa slashed it wtih her machete, sap the color and consistency of blood flowed as from a wound. I was elated as I held a cup to catch the liquid. I'd wanted it for so long! This I knew was a most effective hemostatic agent; it was one of the plants the pharmaceutical company wanted especially, the one I'd used externally to stop the bleeding from a bad cut on my arm. The medicine I had seen given by mouth to stop internal bleeding in a woman hemorrhaging after childbirth. I knew this one could save lots of lives."
"Two of the plants had been scientifically identified for me by a Peruvian botanist who spent a day or two at the hotel. They were among the more important plant medicines, I thought. And the sangre de grado, which taken by mouth stops internal bleeding of a wound and applied externally disinfects and stops bleeding of a wound, was a Euphorbiacea, Croton salutaris; C.planostigma Klotzch."

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Sangre de drago (grado) or "blood of the dragon" is the latex-like sap that comes from the Croton species of tree that grows throughout the Amazon rainforests of Peru and Ecuador. This medicinal sap used for centuries by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon for the treatment of various ailments that include diarrhea, ulcers in the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines, upper respiratory viruses, cancer, as well as topically to heal wounds has slowly been getting more attention from mainstream medicine. Over the last ten years several studies conducted by the University of Calgary, the Albany Medical Center and several others have pointed to concrete documented evidence that sangre de drago is a medicinal power house of phytochemicals.
Dr. Mark Miller of the Albany Medical Center conducted a study on treating stomach ulcers in rats with sangre de drago. The conclusions that he and his colleagues found are incredible. Out of three groups induced with ulcers, two groups of rats, through their drinking water, ingested the sangre de drago in different concentrations (1:1,000 and 1:10,000 dilutions) and one group was used as a control. Both the bacterial content and size of the ulcers in the two groups of rats treated with sangre de drago was greatly reduced at both concentrations. It was also found that sangre de drago greatly inhibits the inflammation of nerve endings and the creation of Myeloperoxidase, an enzyme in white blood cells that is linked to inflammation and cardiovascular disease.
Though this wonderful sap from the rainforest contains a number of beneficial phytochemicals, the healing and anti-inflammatory properties of sangre de drago can be attributed to two main chemicals. These two chemical compounds are Taspine, an alkaloid that has been documented as anti-inflammatory, antitumorous, and antiviral, and Dimethylcedrusine, a lignan that plays a central role in sangre de drago's wound-healing capabilities. In a study done in Belgium, it was found that the healing properties of the raw sangre de drago resin were four times more effective at forming collagen and healing wounds than the administration of the isolated chemicals. When sangre de drago resin was smeared onto a sterile plate, allowed to dry and then doused with E. Coli bacteria the bacteria promptly died versus a similar plate treated with the antibiotic ampicillin.
Sangre de drago has so many benefits that it is hard to cover all of it within the scope of just one article. Between its internal and external uses it has been used for over thirty-one different ailments, and its uses keep growing in popularity. This sap from the Amazon rainforest is truly a miracle of nature and the more it becomes known to the masses, the better.
Research and references
Treatment of gastric ulcers and diarrhea with the Amazonian herbal medicine sangre de grado
http://ajpgi.physiology.org/cgi/con...
Tapping The Powers Of The Amazon
http://www.amc.edu/PR/resources/Alb...
Doubling up on discoveries: U of C researchers identify the problem, then the cure
http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/2713
 

Sangre de Drago Database
http://www.rain-tree.com/sangre.htm
Sangre De Drago
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-...

The Dragon's Blood Tree with Extraordinary Medicinal Properties
http://medicinal-plants.suite101.co...
About the author
Zephyr Faegen is first and foremost an individual who believes that the only way to instill real change is to go to the roots of the populace and instill real knowledge. A dedicated naturapath Zephyr has spent extensive time studying alternative toxin free living and the benefits of Naturopathic and Homeopathic medicine over Allopathic symptom based medicine. To view more of Zephyr's work and get current news please visit: http://www.apollonewsdaily.com

Quelle

Frischer Drachenbaumsaft übernimmt sehr oft die Funktion eines natürlichen Wundpflasters. Direkt auf Verletzungen wie Schürf- oder Schnittwunden aufgetragen, trocknet die Flüssigkeit rasch und bildet einen rötlichen Film aus. Der Saft verschließt die Wunde wie eine zweite Haut und schützt dadurch vor dem Eindringen von Keimen. In dem Baumsaft ist außerdem das seltene Alkaloid Taspin enthalten, das die Wundheilung unterstützt. Der entzündungshemmende Effekt des Alkaloids wurde wissenschaftlich nachgewiesen. Zudem konnte in verschiedenen Studien renommierter Universitäten bewiesen werden, dass Drachenblut die Schorfbildung unterstützt, zur Regeneration der Haut beiträgt und die Bildung von neuem Gewebe fördert. Zur Stimulierung der Magen-Darm-Tätigkeit wird Sangre de Drago ebenfalls seit langem eingesetzt. Außerdem findet das Drachenblut Verwendung bei der Mund- und Zahnhygiene und bei der Kariesprophylaxe.
Die Amazonasbevölkerung weiß schon seit Jahrhunderten um die besonderen Eigenschaften von Sangre de Drago. Erstmals schriftlich erwähnt wurde das Baumharz bereits um 1600. Heute findet der Sangre-Saft weltweit Beachtung und ist besonders für die medizinische Forschung interessant. Vor allem der unverdünnte Saft hat großes Potenzial in Bezug auf die entzündungshemmende und die Wundheilung fördernde Wirkung.
Die einheimische Bevölkerung gewinnt das Drachenblut aus den Baumstämmen hauptsächlich während der Regenzeit. Es ist nicht notwendig, die Bäume zu fällen, um Sangre de Drago abzuzapfen. Nachhaltig genutzt werden kann der Saft, wenn die Baumrinde V-förmig eingekerbt wird. Der austretende Rindensaft lässt sich dann gut auffangen. Auch aus umgestürzten Bäumen kann noch Drachenblut gewonnen werden. Da Drachenblutbäume in der Amazonasregion weit verbreitet sind und sich durch schnelles Wachstum auszeichnen, ist bei nachhaltiger Bewirtschaftung kein Versorgungsengpass an Sangre de Drago zu befürchten.
Der Baumsaft kann sowohl äußerlich als auch innerlich zu Anwendung kommen. Dabei erfolgt die Behandlung entweder mit verdünntem oder unverdünntem Drachenblut. Bei Verletzungen oder Insektenstichen wird das altbewährte Mittel beispielsweise unverdünnt aufgestrichen. Gleiches gilt zur Behandlung entzündlicher Prozesse im Mundraum, zum Beispiel bei Entzündungen des Zahnfleischs. Nur wenige Tropfen werden ein- oder zweimal täglich über mehrere Tage hinweg direkt auf den betroffenen Bereich aufgetragen. Zur Förderung der Tätigkeit des Magen-Darm-Trakts gibt man dagegen drei bis fünf Tropfen Sangre de Drago in ein Glas mit Wasser und trinkt diese Mischung ein- bis zweimal am Tag. Beim Einnehmen oder Auftragen des sanften Pflanzenmittels ist – anders als bei vielen synthetischen Arzneimitteln - mit keinerlei Beeinträchtigungen oder unangenehmen Nebenwirkungen zu rechnen. Deshalb ergänzt Sangre de Drago ideal die Hausapotheke und gehört in jedes Erste-Hilfe-Set.
Vorsicht: Sangre de Drago ist sehr stark färbend. Ich habe bisher noch keine Möglichkeit gefunden, Flecken aus der Kleidung wieder zu entfernen.
Ich hatte mir eine Schnittwunde am Fuß zugezogen, die nicht heilte, sich entzündete und beim Laufen schmerzte . Abends betupfte ich die Wunde mit Sangre de Drago (Wattestäbchen sind sehr gut geeignet) und klebte ein Heftpflaster darüber. Bereits am nächsten Morgen war die Wunde verschlossen und die Entzündung geheilt. Auch die Schmerzen waren Vergangenheit. 
Kürzlich hat mir Sangre de Drago hervorragend bei heftigen Zahnschmerzen geholfen. Nachdem ich den schmerzenden Zahn mit dem Drachenblutsaft eingerieben habe, waren am nächsten Morgen die Zahnschmerzen vollständig verschwunden.