Sacred healing resin
SANGRE DE DRAGO
Scientific Name: Croton Lechleri
Is a tree that grows in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, with a broad, globose and rounded crown, coloured bark greyish-white, exuding wine-coloured latex. Leaves cordate, alternate, sometimes opposite or whorled, 12-20 cm long and 5-14 cm wide, with 2 glands in the base, the most tender have a ferrugineous structure, tomentose on both sides. Terminal inflorescence in lax racemes. Amber-coloured flower, numerous stamens. Globose capsular fruit, depressed, elastically dehiscent, 3 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, has 3 bivalve monocarps. Smooth seeds with caruncle and oleaginous endosperm.
Medicinal uses:
Vaginal antiseptic, healing, contraceptive, skin conditions, anaemia, cancer, diarrhoea, tooth extraction, pharyngotonsillitis, fever, gonorrhoea, haemorrhoids, leucorrhoea, malaria, tumour, stomach and intestinal ulcers, acne, healing scars.
Contains the alkaloid taspine (healing action), oligomeric proanthocyanidin (SP-303). Species of this family present agents antitumor drugs and alkaloids such as Pyridone, indole aporphine, quinoline, tropane, acids unsaturated fatty acids, anthraquinones, fatty epoxy acids, and triterpenoids. Of the genus Croton, 30 alkaloids have been isolated, 22 with known structure, the main ones being: Solutaridine, taspine, sinoacutin, sparciflorin. Benzoic acid is also found, in pigments, tannins and other compounds.
