Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado)

We evaluated 21 human studies on Dragon's blood (sangre de grado), including 3 randomised controlled trials and 0 meta-analyses or systematic reviews; the controlled studies include 240 participants in total. As of 3 October 2026.

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1. What Is Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado)? Occurrence, Origin and Forms

Dragon's blood, Spanish sangre de grado, is the red latex of the South American tree Croton lechleri of the spurge family. It contains mainly proanthocyanidins and the alkaloid taspine; the drug crofelemer is also obtained from it.

The tree grows in the western Amazon region, for example in Peru and Ecuador. The latex flows when the bark is cut and is traditionally applied to wounds and taken for diarrhoea.

Products include the liquid latex for topical or oral use, as well as creams and dental care products. Crofelemer is a purified extract of the latex approved as a medicine for diarrhoea.

Forms and Preparations Studied

• Liquid latex (sangre de grado) applied to the skin
• Latex taken by mouth
• Crofelemer, the purified extract of the latex
• Creams and dental products with dragon's blood

Not covered on this page:

• Dragon's blood resins from other plants (Dracaena, Daemonorops, Pterocarpus)

2. What Does Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Do? Results by Area

How to read the table: counted are human studies whose results concern the area. “High” means at least one meta-analysis and two controlled studies showing improvement, or at least three controlled studies of which three quarters show improvement, with at least 300 participants in total. “Moderate” means at least two controlled studies showing improvement, as a majority, or one meta-analysis alongside controlled studies. “Low” means one controlled study showing improvement. Where an area has no controlled study, the strength of evidence is at most “low” (result “reviews only” or “observational data only”). Everything else is “unclear”. A study counts as showing improvement when at least half of its outcomes in this area improved. Reviews of combination products do not count as meta-analyses; results that only describe side effects or shares of users do not count as an effect. The same study is counted only once.

3. What the Studies Show in Detail

Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado), Diarrhoea and Digestion: Human Studies

For diarrhea and digestion, mainly crofelemer was studied, the purified extract from the latex of Croton lechleri. The finding was clearest in HIV-positive people with chronic noninfectious diarrhea 3. There, in a randomized controlled trial, more patients responded on crofelemer than on placebo, with fewer watery stools and firmer stool 3. In diarrhea during chemotherapy for breast cancer, an open-label randomized trial missed its primary endpoint 2. However, at least moderate diarrhea occurred less often there and resolved more frequently than in the control group 2. In women with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, a randomized controlled trial missed its primary endpoint, pain-free days 1. In a post-hoc analysis, however, abdominal pain responded more frequently than with placebo, stool consistency did not 1. A small controlled, non-randomized trial suggests an effect of crofelemer in diarrhea during neratinib 4. For the raw sap for ingestion, only one review is available, which reports positive clinical findings in travelers' diarrhea and watery diarrhea 19.

Further studies in this area: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado), Skin and Wounds: Human Studies

A review on dermatology mentions clinical studies that point to wound-healing and antiviral properties of dragon's blood 10. Another review mentions relief of itching, pain and swelling from insect bites by the sap 19. A controlled, non-randomized trial tested a cream with pomegranate seed oil and resin extract of Croton lechleri for stretch marks 5. Dermis thickness, skin moisture and elasticity increased in both groups 5. The share of dragon's blood cannot be determined from this. It remains open whether the pure latex or crofelemer actually improve skin and wound healing in humans.

Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado): Further Outcomes in Studies

In HIV-positive patients with chronic diarrhea, crofelemer did not impair clinical immune parameters in a randomized controlled trial 3. A review reports that HIV viral load and CD4 cell count remained unchanged 8. Only crofelemer was studied, the purified extract from the latex of Croton lechleri, not the raw sap; controlled data on immune parameters and safety markers of the raw latex are lacking.

4. How Is Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Dosed? Preparation, Dose and Duration in Studies

The controlled trials used almost exclusively crofelemer, the purified extract from the latex of Croton lechleri, orally for diarrhea 1234. For the liquid sap for application, the sap for ingestion, and for creams and dental care products with dragon's blood, only reviews or one non-randomized trial of a combination product are available in human studies 51019.

5. Is Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Safe? Side Effects in Studies

Crofelemer was well tolerated in the trials, with a safety profile similar to placebo 13818. It is hardly absorbed from the intestine 38131415. In a small controlled, non-randomized trial, most treated participants developed constipation, consistently mild 4. Reviews mention occasional serum enzyme elevations without clinically manifest acute liver injury as well as mild gastrointestinal effects 1617. Crofelemer was also well tolerated in an open-label safety study lasting nearly one year 8.

6. What Remains Open: Limits of the Evidence

• Most controlled trials tested crofelemer, not the raw latex; their results cannot be transferred to the sap for application or ingestion.
• For skin and wounds, randomized controlled trials are lacking; the available trial involved a combination product without randomization.
• Controlled data on immune parameters and safety markers of the raw latex are lacking.
• The study populations are narrowly defined (irritable bowel syndrome, HIV-associated diarrhea, cancer therapy-associated diarrhea), which limits transferability.
• Information on manufacturer funding of the trials is lacking, which complicates the assessment of the results.

7. Bottom Line: What Is Established About Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado)

Dragon's blood, the red latex of Croton lechleri, is studied in human trials almost exclusively in the form of the purified extract crofelemer for diarrhea. The benefit over placebo is clearest in HIV-associated diarrhea 3. In irritable bowel syndrome and chemotherapy-induced diarrhea, randomized trials missed their primary endpoint but showed benefits in secondary analyses 12. Tolerability was good in the trials, with a profile similar to placebo 13818.