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Sangredegrado

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  • Sangre de grado (the Peruvian name) or sangre de drago (the Ecuadorian name), meaning "blood of the dragon," is a medium-sized tree that grows in the upper Amazon region of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It has large, heart-shaped green leaves and greenish-white flowers. Upon injury to the bark of the tree, a dark red resin spills out of the tree. Sangre de grado is still used in South America as traditional medicine for hemorrhaging and wounds, and as an antiseptic. It is also used for protection against ulcers, including those of the stomach, mouth, throat, and intestines; as an antiviral, anticancer, and antidiarrheal agent; and topically for skin conditions and insect bites.
  • Compounds isolated from the sap of sangre de grado have been studied for their effects on diarrhea and herpes virus infections. More studies are needed.
  1. Baumer, U. and Dietemann, P. Identification and differentiation of dragon's blood in works of art using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Anal.Bioanal.Chem. 2010;397(3):1363-1376. View Abstract
  2. DiCesare, D., DuPont, H. L., Mathewson, J. J., et al. A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of SP-303 (Provir) in the symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhea among travelers to Jamaica and Mexico. Am.J.Gastroenterol. 2002;97(10):2585-2588. View Abstract
  3. Fayad, W., Fryknas, M., Brnjic, S., et al. Identification of a novel topoisomerase inhibitor effective in cells overexpressing drug efflux transporters. PLoS.One. 2009;4(10):e7238. View Abstract
  4. Gao, X. L., Jiang, Q., Wang, P. J., et al. [RP-HPLC characteristics of dragon's blood]. Zhongguo Zhong.Yao Za Zhi. 2007;32(19):2025-2027. View Abstract
  5. Gupta, D., Bleakley, B., and Gupta, R. K. Dragon's blood: botany, chemistry and therapeutic uses. J.Ethnopharmacol. 2-12-2008;115(3):361-380. View Abstract
  6. Holodniy, M., Koch, J., Mistal, M., et al. A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II study to assess the safety and efficacy of orally administered SP-303 for the symptomatic treatment of diarrhea in patients with AIDS. Am.J.Gastroenterol. 1999;94(11):3267-3273. View Abstract
  7. Jones, K. Review of sangre de drago (Croton lechleri)--a South American tree sap in the treatment of diarrhea, inflammation, insect bites, viral infections, and wounds: traditional uses to clinical research. J.Altern.Complement Med. 2003;9(6):877-896. View Abstract
  8. Lindner KS. Blood of the DRAGON. HerbalGram 2009;84:56-65.
  9. Maguregui, M. I., Alonso, R. M., Barandiaran, M., et al. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography method for the determination of several natural red dyestuff and lake pigments used in art work. J.Chromatogr.A 6-22-2007;1154(1-2):429-436. View Abstract
  10. Orozco-Topete, R., Sierra-Madero, J., Cano-Dominguez, C., et al. Safety and efficacy of Virend for topical treatment of genital and anal herpes simplex lesions in patients with AIDS. Antiviral Res. 1997;35(2):91-103. View Abstract
  11. Phillipson, J. D. A matter of some sensitivity. Phytochemistry 1995;38(6):1319-1343. View Abstract
  12. Phillipson, J. D. Phytochemistry and medicinal plants. Phytochemistry 2001;56(3):237-243. View Abstract
  13. Sandoval, M., Okuhama, N. N., Clark, M., et al. J. Sangre de grado Croton palanostigma induces apoptosis in human gastrointestinal cancer cells. J.Ethnopharmacol. 2002;80(2-3):121-129. View Abstract
  14. Tran, C. D., Butler, R. N., and Miller, M. J. The role of Amazonian herbal medicine Sangre de Grado in Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with metallothionein expression. Helicobacter. 2006;11(2):134-135. View Abstract
  15. Zhong L, Fan GR Lu F Mi HM. Identification of Daemonorops draco Bl. by near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectrometry combined with visualization of convolution transform. Pharmaceutical Care and Research (Yaoxue Fuwu Yu Yanjiu) (CHINA) 2-4-2004;4:111-113.
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