Croton lechleri (Dragon’s Blood)

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This article is part of the Yaogará Ark, a living archive of Amazonian medicinal and teacher plants.

Abstract

Croton lechleri Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae), widely recognized as Dragon’s Blood (Spanish: Sangre de Grado, Sangre de Drago), is a medicinal tree native to the Amazon basin. Indigenous communities and regional healers value its bright red resin as a primary agent for wound healing, intestinal repair, and protective ritual practices. Across the western Amazon, the latex is central in traditional medicine, with contemporary research corroborating its healing properties and complex phytochemistry (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Botanical Classification

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clade: Angiosperms
  • Clade: Eudicots
  • Order: Malpighiales
  • Family: Euphorbiaceae
  • Genus: Croton
  • Species: Croton lechleri Müll. Arg.

Croton lechleri is a fast-growing, small-to-medium-sized tree that exudes a vivid red latex when the bark is cut, the origin of its common name “Dragon’s Blood.” Diagnostic features reported across regional floras include simple, alternate leaves with conspicuous venation, small unisexual flowers typical of Euphorbiaceae, and a pale to grayish bark whose wounded surface rapidly bleeds latex. The species is well adapted to dynamic forest margins and human-disturbed habitats, contributing to its prevalence in Amazonian agroforestry and its ready availability in local medicinal markets.

Geographical Distribution and Habitat

C. lechleri is native to the lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin, with abundant occurrences documented in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]). It thrives on well-drained soils in secondary growth, along forest edges, riparian zones, and clearings, and is frequently encountered near settlements where disturbance regimes favor its recruitment. Elevational distribution extends to approximately 1200 meters. Its ecology as a light-demanding pioneer facilitates both natural regeneration after treefall gaps and managed cultivation by rural households.

The species’ tendency to colonize disturbed areas underpins its long-standing role in community pharmacopoeias: it is accessible, can be tapped repeatedly with careful management, and produces a resin that is usable fresh without elaborate processing. Local management practices often involve leaving regeneration cohorts intact and spacing harvests to reduce stress on individual trees, enabling a sustainable flow of latex for domestic and commercial uses (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Ethnobotanical Context

Among Indigenous groups such as the Shuar, Kichwa, Shipibo-Conibo, and mestizo populations of Peru and Ecuador, Dragon’s Blood resin is integral to ethnomedical systems. Its use spans generations, consistently employed for:

These practices occur within broader Amazonian frameworks of bodily care, spiritual protection, and the maintenance of social wellbeing. Healers may interpret the resin’s deep red coloration as an expression of the tree’s life force; its astringency and swift film-forming behavior are read as both physically sealing wounds and symbolically sealing the body against adverse influences. In certain ritual settings, the resin is used to trace protective signs on the skin, tools, or dwellings, forming a barrier believed to deter malign airs or spiritual intrusion (Hyde 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/).

Regional markets sell “Sangre de Grado” alongside other botanical medicines, reflecting its social importance and broad acceptance in community therapeutics (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]). Preparation norms and dosing practices are typically transmitted informally. Knowledge concerning C. lechleri is transmitted through:

Across these settings, healers emphasize caution in internal use, personalization of dosage, and attentiveness to symptoms. The continuity of practice despite urbanization indicates a resilient ethnomedical role, with Sangre de Grado frequently bridging household remedies and clinical adjuncts.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Dragon’s Blood resin is especially rich in proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins), which give it potent antioxidant and astringent properties. Other identified constituents include alkaloids, diterpenoids, phytosteroids, phenolics, and saponins (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Astringency and barrier formation

  • When applied to skin or mucosa, the latex rapidly polymerizes into a thin, elastic film often described as a “second skin.” This film helps protect the wound surface, reduces exudation, and can create a local environment unfavorable to microbial invasion. The high tannin content promotes protein precipitation, contributing to hemostasis and to a tightening effect that approximates wound edges. These material properties underlie the widely observed immediate drying and sealing action reported in both clinical and lay settings (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

  • In vitro studies and pharmacognostic analyses attribute antimicrobial activity to proanthocyanidin-rich fractions, with reports of inhibition against selected bacteria and fungi. This antimicrobial profile, together with antioxidant capacity, is consistent with the ethnomedical use for skin integrity and infection risk reduction (Cichewicz & Thorpe 1996 https://doi.org/10.1021/np950344j; Soto, J., et al. 1995 https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2650090103).

Gastroprotective and antidiarrheal effects

  • Traditional internal use focuses on gastrointestinal complaints such as ulcers and diarrhea. Pharmacological assessments support anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities, including mitigation of mucosal irritation and modulation of intestinal fluid balance. Proanthocyanidin oligomers and other polyphenolic constituents are implicated in these effects, aligning with ethnographic accounts of diluted oral administration for dysentery and nonspecific diarrhea (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]; Cichewicz & Thorpe 1996 https://doi.org/10.1021/np950344j).

Validated effects (selected)

Together, the chemical profile and empirically observed actions provide a coherent explanation for long-standing uses across topical and internal domains. Ethnomedical claims of “closing” wounds and “protecting” the gut are supported by the latex’s physical sealing, astringent, and antimicrobial properties. The persistence of these uses into contemporary complementary medicine reflects both cultural continuity and the reproducibility of the resin’s effects under diverse conditions (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Safety and cautions

  • External use is generally well-tolerated, though sensitive individuals may experience local irritation. Internal use practices vary; many healers employ conservative dosing and brief courses, especially for acute diarrhea. Because resin preparations can vary in concentration and purity, community guidance often emphasizes source transparency and the avoidance of adulterated products. As with many astringent botanicals, cautious use is advised during pregnancy and in individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disease unless under professional supervision (Hyde 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/).

Traditional Preparation and Use

Resin extraction

Topical application

  • The resin is applied directly with a fingertip or clean swab onto cleansed skin. Within seconds the latex spreads and darkens as it dries, forming a protective, semi-occlusive film. Practitioners often massage the resin lightly until it turns from red to a lighter film that adheres well and is resistant to minor abrasion. Applications may be repeated one to three times daily depending on wound characteristics and tolerability (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Oral administration

  • For gastrointestinal disturbances, small quantities of the latex are diluted—commonly a few drops in water or another neutral liquid—and ingested once or several times daily over a short course. Dosing varies by lineage, healer instruction, and symptom severity. Some traditions prefer administration on an empty stomach; others combine with soothing teas. Given the variability of artisanal preparations, conservative dosing and close observation are emphasized (Luna Sundara, 2025 [https://www.lunasundara.com/products/dragons-blood-100-pure-sangre-de-grado-croton-lechleri]).

Ritual and protective uses

  • In many communities, Dragon’s Blood is incorporated into cleansing and protective rites. The resin may be used to trace symbols on the skin, tools, or thresholds; it may be placed discretely in spaces to fortify them against “mal aire” or other intrusive forces as defined by local cosmologies. These uses are complementary to clinical applications and are understood to strengthen boundaries, purify spaces, and support recovery (Hyde 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/).

Market preparations and quality

Integration in plural medical systems

  • Sangre de Grado’s continued prominence reflects a pragmatic fit with pluralistic health-seeking behaviors across the Amazon. Households employ the latex for first aid and common digestive complaints; curanderos and other specialists embed it in broader therapeutic sequences; and urban clinics in some settings acknowledge its topical benefits while advising on safe use for internal indications (Hyde 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/).

Conservation and Ethical Considerations

Sustainability and resource pressure

  • While C. lechleri is not currently listed as endangered, local depletion has occurred where commercial demand concentrates extraction pressure, particularly near market hubs and along accessible river corridors. The species’ regenerative capacity is robust under moderate tapping, but destructive harvesting (e.g., deep girdling) can impair individual survival and local population structure (de Albuquerque et al. 2025 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/]).

Harvest guidelines and management

  • Ethical trade initiatives and community guidelines promote non-lethal tapping, seasonal rotation of collection trees, and limits on incision depth and frequency. Agroforestry strategies—planting near homesteads and within secondary forests—reduce foraging distances and buffer wild stands. Training programs emphasize wound hygiene for trees, use of clean tools, and leaving reproductive individuals untouched to maintain seed rain (Luna Sundara, 2025 [https://www.lunasundara.com/products/dragons-blood-100-pure-sangre-de-grado-croton-lechleri]).

Market traceability and quality

  • Growing international interest in Dragon’s Blood underscores the need for transparent supply chains that document origin, harvesting method, and community benefit. Quality control measures—screening for adulterants, microbial load, and heavy metals—protect consumers and support fair pricing for authentic, responsibly sourced latex (Amazon Therapeutics 2025 [https://www.allstarhealth.com/f/amazon_therapeutics-dragons_blood_sangre_de_grado.htm]).

Biocultural rights and knowledge governance

  • Recognition of Indigenous intellectual property and protection of traditional knowledge are increasingly viewed as essential. Equitable benefit-sharing, prior informed consent, and culturally appropriate research protocols are core to ethical engagement, especially when commercial development draws on local expertise (Hyde 2020 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/). Documentation of Amazonian medicinal plants such as Croton lechleri should include community consultation, return of benefits, and long-term collaboration to sustain biocultural stewardship (Lamas 2018 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.12.022).

Policy frameworks and health systems

  • International and national policies on traditional medicine emphasize integration with public health while safeguarding community knowledge. The World Health Organization’s strategy highlights the importance of quality, safety, efficacy, and access—principles directly relevant to plant medicines like Sangre de Grado, which already circulate widely in primary care ecologies (World Health Organization 2013 https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/92455).

Ethical research and clinical translation

  • As pharmacological interest grows, ethical research should align with community priorities, ensure reciprocal benefits, and avoid extractive practices. Collaborative studies that validate dosing, safety profiles, and indications—while respecting cultural meanings—can enrich both biomedical and Indigenous frameworks without displacing local authority.

References

  1. de Albuquerque, R. D. D. G., et al. (2025). A Review on Phytochemistry and Recent Pharmacology of Dragon’s Blood (Croton lechleri), a Multifunctional Ethnomedicinal Resource from the Amazon Forest. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40043740/
  2. Luna Sundara (2025). Dragon’s Blood 100% Pure Sangre de Grado (Croton Lechleri). [https://www.lunasundara.com/products/dragons-blood-100-pure-sangre-de-grado-croton-lechleri]
  3. Lamas, A. (2018). Medicinal plants, knowledge transmission, and cultural practices in Amazonia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 222, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.12.022
  4. Hyde, T. A. et al. (2020). Traditional Amazonian medicine in the 21st century. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 1596. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8074063/
  5. Cichewicz, R. H., & Thorpe, P. A. (1996). The antimicrobial properties of Dragon’s Blood: Proanthocyanidin-rich resin from Croton lechleri. Journal of Natural Products, 59(10), 796–798. https://doi.org/10.1021/np950344j
  6. Amazon Therapeutics (2025). Dragon’s Blood - Sangre de Grado. [https://www.allstarhealth.com/f/amazon_therapeutics-dragons_blood_sangre_de_grado.htm]
  7. Soto, J., et al. (1995). Proanthocyanidins in plant latex: Biological activity of Croton lechleri. Phytotherapy Research, 9(1), 5–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2650090103
  8. Schinor, E. C. et al. (2004). Plants used as wound healing agents in the Swiss Amazon. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 94(2-3), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2004.04.050
  9. Gupta, M. P., et al. (2008). Traditional wound healing uses of medicinal plants in Amazonian cultures. Phytomedicine, 15(6), 467-472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2008.01.011
  10. World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/92455

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CC BY-SA 4.0 – Yaogará Ark — a living ethnobotanical research archive