Principal biochemicals include taspine and antitumorial alkaloids such as piridone, aporfine indole, quinolein, tropanes, unsaturated fatty acids, antraquinones, and triterpenes.

Sangre de grado (dragon's blood) is a forest euphorb tree. It produces a latex resin containing a rare alkaloid called taspine which dramatically speeds healing of wounds such as scrapes, lacerations and abrasions. The sap also contains phenolic compounds with strong antiseptic qualities. The blood-red resin thickens and turns white when rubbed on the skin.

In the Peruvian Amazon, Sangre de grado is commonly mixed with water and taken internally as a treatment for stomach ulcers. Sangre de grado sold in markets is often diluted with water and is less effective than pure resin.

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Literature references about Sangre de Grado(Croton lechleri):

Phillipson JD. A matter of some sensitivity. Phytochemistry, April, 1995.

Chen ZP, et al. Studies on the anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and wound-healing properties of
dragon's blood. Planta Med., December, 1994.

Abstract
Three in-vitro assays have been adopted to examine the cytotoxicity and anti-bacterial activity of the
blood-red sap of Croton lechleri from Ecuador, and to examine its effect upon the proliferation of
endothelial cells. The sap was found not to be cytotoxic. Several simple phenolic compounds and
diterpenes showed a potent anti-bacterial activity. The sap has little effect upon the proliferation of
endothelial cells, and no single active ingredient was identified. A mechanism for the wound-healing
property of the sap has been proposed.

Pieters L, et al. Isolation of a dihydrobenzofuran lignan from South American dragon's blood
(Croton spp.) as an inhibitor of cell proliferation. J. Nat. Prod., June, 1993.

Abstract
Dragon's blood is a red viscous latex extracted from the cortex of various Croton spp.
(Euphorbiaceae), most commonly Croton lechleri, Croton draconoides (or Croton palanostigma),
and Croton erythrochilus. It is used in South American popular medicine for several purposes,
including wound healing. Bioassay-guided fractionation of dragon's blood, using an in vitro test
system for the stimulation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells, has resulted in the isolation of a
dihydrobenzofuran lignan, 3',4-O-dimethylcedrusin or 4-O-methyldihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol
[2-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydro-7-methoxybenzo furan-5- propan-1-ol] [1]
as the biologically active principle. A related compound, 4-O-methylcedrusin
[2-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydro-7-hydroxybenzo furan-5- propan-1-ol] [2],
and the alkaloid taspine [3], also isolated from dragon's blood, were not active in the same assay. A
cell proliferation assay, measuring the incorporation of tritiated thymidine in endothelial cells,
showed that compound 1 did not stimulate cell proliferation, but rather inhibited thymidine
incorporation, while protecting cells against degradation in a starvation medium.

Vaisberg AJ, et al. Taspine is the cicatrizant principle in Sangre de Grado extracted from
Croton lechleri. Planta Med., April, 1989.

Abstract
Sangre de Drago extract used by Peruvian natives as a cicatrizant agent, was collected from trees
of the species Croton lechleri growing in the Peruvian jungle. The Sangre de Drago was found to
contain one alkaloid identified as taspine and which was shown to be the active cicatrizant principle
by an in vivo test in mice. This alkaloid exhibited a dose-related cicatrizant effect and an ED50 of
0.375 mg/kg. Experiments with taspine hydrochloride in order to study its mechanism of action in
cell culture systems showed that the alkaloid was non-toxic to human foreskin fibroblasts at
concentrations below 150 ng/ml and that it had no effect on cell proliferation. On the other hand,
taspine hydrochloride was found to increase the migration of human foreskin fibroblasts. This effect
on the migration of fibroblasts is probably the mechanism by which Sangre de Grado and taspine
hydrochloride accelerate the wound healing process. Using the two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis
system, we have been able to show that neither Sangre de Grado nor taspine hydrochloride had
carcinogenic or tumour promoter activity after 17 months of treatment.

Perdue GP, et al. South American plants II: taspine isolation and anti-inflammatory activity. J.
Pharm. Sci., January, 1979.

Abstract
Croton lechleri L. (Euphorbiaceae), a plant from the Upper Amazon Valley of Peru, yielded the
alkaloid taspine. The anti-inflammatory activity of taspine hydrochloride was studied using the
carrageenan-induced pedal edema method, the cotton pellet-induced granuloma method, and the
adjuvant polyarthritis model.

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