BT-040 · Euphorbiaceae

Sangre de grado

Croton lechleri

Evidence: LimitedGenerally safe

Applied to the skin, the red resin turns white and forms a thin film; in the Amazon it is called a liquid bandage.

Other names: Dragon’s blood, sangre de drago
Part used: Red resin (latex)
Region: Amazon
Use: Healing

Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In short

What is Sangre de grado?

Sangre de grado (Croton lechleri) is a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family. Traditions that use it: Amazon. Part used: red resin (latex).

What is Sangre de grado used for?

Traditional use: When the bark is cut, a blood-red sap flows. Scientific evidence: limited. Crofelemer, developed from the resin, was approved in the US in 2012 for diarrhoea in people with HIV, the first oral botanical drug approved there.

Is Sangre de grado safe?

Safety label: generally safe. Generally safe on the skin. Safety data for drinking it are limited; not for use in pregnancy.

Traditional use

Amazon

When the bark is cut, a blood-red sap flows. It is applied to wounds, insect bites and mouth sores; a few drops in water are drunk for diarrhoea and the stomach.

In nature

Where it grows: Forest edges and clearings in the Amazon basin (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia).
Harvest season: Resin is collected all year by cutting the bark.
Local names: ejderha kanı; local names sangre de grado, sangre de drago

Mix-up risk

“Dragon’s blood” is also used for Dracaena and Daemonorops resins, which are entirely different plants.

Preparation

The resin is applied directly to the skin.

What science says

Crofelemer, developed from the resin, was approved in the US in 2012 for diarrhoea in people with HIV, the first oral botanical drug approved there. Its wound-healing effect has been shown in lab and animal studies.