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."

A pure natural resin extracted from the sangre de grado tree (Croton lechleri) which is also called "dragon's blood."  Sangre de grado resin is a storehouse of plant chemicals including proanthocyanidins (antioxidants), simple phenols, diterpenes, phytosterols, and biologically active alkaloids and lignans.  Scientists have attributed many of the biologically active properties of the resin to two main "active" constituents: an alkaloid named taspine, and a lignan named dimethylcedrusine.

For more complete information on this powerful plant of the rainforest, please see the Plant Database File on Sangre de Grado.

Raintree Nutrition's sangre de grado resin has been sustainably wild-harvested in the Peruvian Amazon. It is rich in active and beneficial phytochemicals which occur naturally in this plant. Raintree's supply of sangre de grado comes from the high jungle of Peru where new organic cultivation programs with medicinal plants are replacing old coca plantations and providing new sources of income for poor farmers on their existing lands.

Traditional 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. 

Ingredients: Pure sangre de grado resin (Croton lechleri) stabilized with 10% alcohol. This plant has been sustainably wild-harvested (without pesticides or fertilizers) in the Brazilian Amazon and is non-irradiated and non-fumigated.

Suggested Use: Take 15 drops in water 1-2 times daily. Use topically by applying liberally to affected area of skin. Avoid contact with eyes.

Contraindications: Not to be used during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

Drug Interactions: None known.

Other Observations: Will stain clothing and other textiles.

Third-Party Published Research:
This Raintree product has not been the subject of any clinical research. All available third-party research on sangre de grado can be found at PubMed. A partial listing of the published research on sangre de grado is shown below:

Anticancerous & Cytotoxic Actions:
Gonzales, G. F., et al. "Medicinal plants from Peru: a review of plants as potential agents against cancer." Anticancer Agents Med, Chem. 2006 Sep; 6(5) :429-44.
Rossi, D., et al. “Evaluation of the mutagenic, antimutagenic and antiproliferative potential of Croton lechleri (Muell. Arg.) latex.” Phytomedicine. 2003 Mar; 10(2-3): 139-44.
Sandoval, M., et al. “Sangre de grado (Croton palanostigma) induces apoptosis in human gastrointestinal cancer cells.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 2002; 80(2-3): 121–9.
Chen, Z. P., et al. “Studies on the anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and wound-healing properties of dragon’s blood.” Planta Med. 1994; 60(6): 541–45.
Pieters, L., et al. “Isolation of a dihydrobenzofuran lignan from South American dragon’s blood (Croton sp.) as an inhibitor of cell proliferation.” J. Nat. Prod. 1993; 56(6): 899–906.
Itokawa, H., et al. “A cytotoxic substance from sangre de grado.” Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1991; 39(4): 1041–42.

Wound Healing, Neuromuscular, & Antioxidant Actions:
Frum, Y., et al. "In vitro 5-lipoxygenase and anti-oxidant activities of South African medicinal plants commonly used topically for skin diseases." Skin Pharmacol. Physiol. 2006; 19(6): 329-35.
Rollinger, J. M., "Taspine: bioactivity-guided isolation and molecular ligand-target insight of a potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitor from Magnolia x soulangiana." J. Nat. Prod. 2006 Sep; 69(9): 1341-6.
Dong, Y., et al. “Enhancement of wound healing by taspine and its effect on fibroblast.” Zhong. Yao. Cai. 2005; 28(7): 579-82.
Dong, Y. L., et al. “Effect of taspine hydrochloride on skin wound healing in rats and its mechanism.” Zhong. Xi. Yi. Jie. He. Xue. Bao.. 2005 Sep; 3(5): 386-90.
Lopes, M. I., et al. “Mutagenic and antioxidant activities of Croton lechleri sap in biological systems.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Dec; 95(2-3): 437-45.
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 Dec; 9(6): 877-96.
Desmarchelier, C., et al. “Effects of sangre de drago from Croton lechleri Muell.-Arg. on the production of active oxygen radicals.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 1997; 58: 103–8.
Phillipson, J. D. “A matter of some sensitivity.” Phytochemistry. 1995 Apr; 38(6): 1319-43.
Chen, Z. P., et al. “Studies on the anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and wound-healing properties of dragon’s blood.” Planta Med. 1994; 60(6): 541–45.
Porras-Reyes, B. H., et al. “Enhancement of wound healing by the alkaloid taspine defining mechanism of action.” Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 1993; 203(1): 18–25.
Vaisberg, A. J., et al. “Taspine is the cicatrizant principle in sangre de grado extracted from Croton lechleri.” Planta Med. 1989; 55(2): 140–43.
Macrae, W. D., et al. “Studies on the pharmacological activity of Amazonian Euphorbiaceae.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 1988; 22(2): 143–72.

Pain-relieving & Anti-inflammatory Actions:
Xiangming, L., et al. “Effects of dragon's blood resin and its component loureirin B on tetrodotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated sodium currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons.” Sci. China C. Life Sci. 2004 Aug; 47(4): 340-8.
Tsacheva, I., et al. “Complement inhibiting properties of dragon's blood from Croton draco. ”Z. Naturforsch. 2004; 59(7-8): 528-32.
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 Dec; 9(6): 877-96.
Risco, E., et al. “Immunomodulatory activity and chemical characterisation of sangre de drago (dragon's blood) from Croton lechleri.” Planta Med. 2003; 69(9): 785-94.
Miller, M. J., et al. “Inhibition of neurogenic inflammation by the Amazonian herbal medicine sangre de grado.” J. Invest. Dermatol. 2001; 117(3): 725–30.
Perdue, G. P., et al. “South American plants II: Taspine isolation and anti-inflammatory activity.” J. Pharm. Sci. 1979; 68(1): 124–26.

Antimicrobial Actions:
Gurgel, L. A., et al. “In vitro antifungal activity of dragon's blood from Croton urucurana against dermatophytes.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 2005; 97(2): 409-12.
Williams, J. E. “Review of antiviral and immunomodulating properties of plants of the Peruvian rainforest with a particular emphasis on Una de Gato and Sangre de Grado.” Altern. Med. Rev. 2001; 6(6): 567–79.
Sidwell R., et al. “Influenza virus-inhibitory effects of intraperitoneally and aerosol-administered SP-303, a plant flavonoid.” Chemotherapy. 1994; 40(1): 42–50.
Chen, Z. P., et al. “Studies on the anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, and wound-healing properties of dragon’s blood.” Planta Med. 1994; 60(6): 541–45.
Rao, G. S., et al. “Antimicrobial agents from higher plants. Dragon's blood resin.”J. Nat. Prod. 1982 Sep-Oct; 45(5): 646-8.

Anti-ulcer & Anti-diarrhea Actions:
Tran, C. D., et al. "The role of Amazonian herbal medicine Sangre de Grado in Helicobacter pylori infection and its association with metallothionein expression." Helicobacter. 2006 Apr; 11(2): 134-5.
Paula, A. C., et al. "The gastroprotective effect of the essential oil of Croton cajucara is different in normal rats than in malnourished rats." Br. J. Nutr. 2006 Aug; 96(2): 310-5.
Fischer, H., et al. “A novel extract SB-300 from the stem bark latex of Croton lechleri inhibits CFTR-mediated chloride secretion in human colonic epithelial cells.” J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004; 93(2-3): 351-7.
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 Dec; 9(6): 877-96.
Miller, M. J., et al. “Treatment of gastric ulcers and diarrhea with the Amazonian herbal medicine sangre de grado.” Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 2000; 42: G192–200.
Gabriel, S. E., et al. “A novel plant-derived inhibitor of cAMP-mediated fluid and chloride secretion.” Am. J. Physiol. 1999 Jan; 276(1 Pt 1): G58-63.