BLOOD DRAGON TREE (croton lechleri)

	B
	BLOOD DRAGON TREE
	*croton lechleri*

Name
BLOOD DRAGON TREE

Scientific Name
croton lechleri

BLOOD DRAGON TREE

Or BLOODY WOOD

Lati'n Name: CROTON LECHLERI Muell.-Arg.

Other Names:

DRAGON TREE BLOOD

DRAGOON BLOOD

DRACO BLOOD

English: DRAGON´S BLOOD

The most common uses of this original plant of Mexico, Center America and Sud America, are the direct application of látex and the slight crust in infections of the skin like herpes, scabies, dandruff, seborrea and external wounds; the infusion of the same one for stomach, diarrea pain, buccal shyness, vomit, pain vesicle, tuberculoses, ulcers and injuries in encías; in washings for the cases of sores; like gárgaras, in buccal pain throat and other affections; and the crust ground for mordedura of viper, used on the wound. On the other hand, its use is so old that from the Colony, old the Mexicans appreciated much this plant because the pain chest and eyes cured; also they used it like diurético. The places in where it grows are Mexico, America Center, Panama and Sud America.

Arbol of up to 15 ms of height, of smooth trunk and crust that goes of the gray color to the coffee; it has abundant branches in the superior part and acorazonadas great leaves. The flowers in long clusters, originate fruits of cleared form. One is in climates and tempering warm, semiwarm. The Sangregado is original of our country and grows associate to the tropical forest perennifolia, subperenifolia and the forest mesófilo of mountain.

Family: EUPHORBIACEAE

Division: ANGIOSPERMA

Class: DICOTILEDÓNEAS

Order: GERANIALES

Sort: CROTON

Origin: PERU

Height: 12-20 meters

Harvesting:

The obtaining of látex is made in rainy time and the first hours in the morning, opposite case its collection is minimum.

Used Part: Látex

Commentary:

The suitable tree for the obtaining of látex must measure more than 18 meters of height and has to have a diameter of 0,5 meters. The crust with a clean and appropriate machine is scraped, and each 5 cm. are made approximately incisions. As they approach the branches, látex becomes denser and appears more quickly.

Characteristics of the Látex:

Látex presents/displays an aspect similar to the one of the human blood and some physical properties are common to each other. It is a liquid of red color, slightly dense substance and of the great viscosity; to the contact with the air one becomes hardened quickly leaving appreciable spot in the application site; to the anxious or friccionada being on the skin, it leaves abundant foam; it has a great power of adhesion, his scent is pleasant, not thus his flavor that is bitter; he is not miscible in water, but in alcohol to room temperature, being his boiling point 91ºC and the one of freezing 0ºC. He is not inflammable.

Properties:

It is observed as main indication in the use of Blood of Dragon tree, its internal and external healing effects.

Vaisberg and col, 1989, as much describe the healing power of "Sangre of Drago" like of the isolated taspina alkaloid in her, because the taspina induces the cellular migration towards the wounded zone.

On the other hand, using like bioensayo the stimulation of the endoteliales cells of human umbilical veins, Pieters and collaborator (1992,1993) they made a division guided by bioensayo, this showed that 3-4-0-Dimetilcedrusin, of the Blood of Dragon tree, stimulates the endoteliales cells.

These investigators indicated in their studies, that the made experiments to evaluate the healing activity confirmed the healing effect of the Blood of Dragon tree. 3-4-0-dimetilcedrusin also improved the healing live

The evaluation of the microscopic preparations dealt with Blood of Dragon tree, revealed that almost there was no difference between old weaves, healthy and just formed, indicating therefore a process of very effective cleaning. The formation of a new epidérmica layer was almost complete.

The effect of healing of the crude Blood of Dragon tree was better than the observed one with the ointments that contained 3-4-0-dimetilcedrusin. This had to the physical effect of polifenoles (proantocianidinas) present in the Blood of Dragon tree, which precipitate proteins of the cells and form a dark scab that covers the wound.

Main components:

The presence of alkaloids has been verified and the taspina alkaloid has been identified. Pieters and col (1993) put in a home two dihidrobenzofuranos lignanos 3´, 4-0-dimetilcedrusina, and 4-0-metilcedrusin of degree blood. As much the taspina as the lignano 3´, 4-0-dimetilcedrusina is biactive. In addition, derivatives of catequinas and procianidina have been reported?-I and?-4.

Terpenos, such as, the Diterpenos clerodánicos lactónicos: Korberina and Korberina B (C. lechleri, crusts. CAI and collaborator, 1993). Beta-sitosterol, estigmasterol, castaprenol, vomifoliol, ergasterol-älfa-ålfa-endoperoxido (Hernandez J. and Thin G., 1992).

Used Part

Viscous Látex obtained by incision of the trunk. In etnomedicina they are used, with the same denomination and indications other species: Draconoides C.s M. Arg.;C. erythrochilus M.Arg; C. huitorum Croizat; C. palanostigma M. Klotzsch and C. perpeciosus Croizat.

Active Principles

It contains polifenólicos derivatives: abundant gálicos and catéquicos derivatives, proantocianidósidos beta-1 and beta-4. Alkaloids: taspina. Lignanos dihidrobenzofuranos: 3', 4-0-dimetilcedrusina, 4-0-metilcedrusina. Diterpenoides clerodano type: korberinas To and B. b-sistosterol.

Farmacológica Action

It is used like astringent: hemostatic, healing, antidiarréico, antiinflammatory and antitumorlike. In addition its antirust effect, antibacterial and strongly antiviral has been verified experimentally. By his bitter flavor he is aperitive and digestive.

Indications

In topical use: aftas buccal, parodontopatías, dérmicas erosions of the oral mucosa, wounds, burns, ulceraciones, faringitis, vulvovaginitis, cervicitis, ulcerosa colitis, disease of Crohn, hemorroides, dermatitis.

In internal use: anorexy, dispepsias hyposecretory, gastroduodenales ulcers, gastroenteritis, diarreas, syndrome of the null and voidable intestine, ulcerosa colitis.

Contraindications

Pregnancy, lactancia, children (oral route), by its content in alkaloids.

Indirect effect

The bitter tannins and principles are inductive of the cloropéptica secretion (it see section of precautions).

Precaution/Poisonings

The dragon tree blood has been effective in the treatment of the gastroduodenales ulcers, when inhibiting the growth of the Helicobacter pylori. When it is prescribed to hypersecretory patients with dispepsias, we recommended its associate postprandial administration to a demulcente tisane (malvavisco, maize malva, styles, etc.). In case of gastric intolerancia, to suspend the treatment.

Galénicas Forms/Dosage

Internal use:

- Látex: 10-15 drops one to three times to the day, preferably half an hour before the meals. In case of dispepsias hypersecretory, the section of precautions consúltese.

External use:

- Látex: To apply the sufficient amount for, once extended, to cover the zone to treat. To let dry and renew application two to four times to the day.

- It draws resin from: Popularly, in Peru, the dust of the resin in an infusion of llantén is diluted and it is applied of topical form (washed, compresas, vaginal irrigations, enemas, colutorios or garglings).

Bibliography

Cai, And ET to. Polyphenolic compounds from Croton lechleri. Phytochemistry, 1991; 30 (6): 2033-40.

Cai, And ET to. Diterpenes from Croton lechleri. Phytochemistry, 1993; 32 (3): 755-60.

Chen, ZP. ET to. Studies on the anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and wound-healing properties of dragon's blood. It plants Med, 1994 DEC; 60 (6): 541-5.

Gupta, MP. 270 Plantas Medicinal Latin American. Santafé of Bogota: Latin American program of Science and technology for Desarrollo (CYTED), 1995, pp. 278-80.

Phillipson, JD. To matter of some sensitivity. Phytochemistry, 1995 Apr; 38 (6): 1319-43.

Zapata, RE. Antimicrobial activity in vitro of the drug commercialized like Blood of Degree. Lima: Greater National university of San Marcos. Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, 1987.

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