Dragon's Blood (Daemonorops draco) Resin, Wild Harvested

INDONESIA. Dragon's Blood (Daemonorops draco) Resin, Wild Harvested

Common names: Sumatran Dragon’s Blood, Xue Jie, Bithuaa

Family: Arecaceae

Daemonorops draco is a climbing evergreen palm that may grow up to nearly 50 feet high. Its natural range in the lowland rain forests of southeast Asia extends from Thailand into Indonesia. (In a pending shift of classification, it seems likely that the species will be renamed in the near future as Calamus draco.) It is one of almost 600 species of vine-like climbing palms whose woody stems are used as rattan canes for furniture, baskets, etc. The fruit scales and leaf sheaths of D. draco is a prominent source of the reddish resin called Dragon’s Blood. 

Reddish plant-derived resins from several different taxa—all known as Dragon’s Blood—have long been used in traditional medicine, and as food colorings and flavorings, dyes, varnishes, and ceremonial incense, in many parts of the world: Latin America, Europe and the Mediterranean region (dating back to the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Arabs), as well as China and South Asia.

D. draco is the source of one of two related plant resins labeled as Dragon’s Blood in Chinese herbal medicine, prescribed to aid blood circulation, treat bleeding and pain, and facilitate healing of fractures and wounds. Other actions attributed to Dragon’s Blood medicines such as D. draco resin include astringent, antidiarrhetic, antiulcer, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and diuretic.

Contemporary research on Dragon’s Blood (citing only studies that specify  Daemonorops draco resin) appears to support many of these traditional uses, such as fighting infections and cancer, inhibiting platelet aggregation, controlling inflammation, reducing oxidative stress and vascular damage in diabetic patients, promoting circulation, and helping heal pressure ulcers.

Active compounds identified in Dragon's Blood include drachrodin, dracorubin, other flavanols, and benzoic and cinnamic acids.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.