Dragon’s Blood from Dracaena cambodiana in China: Applied History and Induction Techniques toward Formation Mechanism

Abstract

Dragon’s blood that is extracted from Dracaena plants has been widely used as traditional medicine in various ancient cultures. The application of dragon’s blood has a cherished history in China, even though the original plants were not discovered for some period. Dracaena cochinchinensis and Dracaena cambodiana were successively discovered in southern China during the 1970s–1980s. In the last half of the century, Chinese scientists have extensively investigated the production of dragon’s blood from these two Dracaena species, whereas these results have not been previously systematically summarized, as in the present paper. Herein, we present the applied history in ancient China and artificially induced technologies for dragon’s blood development based on these two Dracaena species, in particular, using tissue cultures seedlings and tender plants of D. cambodiana. Big data research, including transcriptomic and genomic studies, has suggested that dragon’s blood might be a defense substance that is secreted by Dracaena plants in response to (a)biotic stimuli. This review represents an effort to highlight the progress and achievements from applied history as well as induction techniques that are used for the formation of dragon’s blood that have taken place in China. Such knowledge might aid in the global conservation of wild Dracaena species and contribute to understanding dragon blood formation mechanisms, eventually assisting in the efficient utilization of limited Dracaena plant resources for the sustainable production of dragon’s blood.

The Chromosome-level Genome of Dracaena cochinchinesis Provides Insights into its Biological Features and the Mechanism of Dragon’s Blood Formation

“…Dragon’s blood is a precious traditional medicine with multiple therapeutic uses (Masaoud & Schmidt, 1995; Gupta et al ., 2008; Yang & Yao, 2011; Xin et al ., 2013; Fan et al ., 2014; Ding et al ., 2020; Maděra et al ., 2020). D. cochinchinensis is one of the most important genuine resources of Chinese dragon’s blood as medicine.…”

“…The dragon’s blood, red resin of Dracaena , is a defensive substance produced by Dracaena when it is damaged or infected by pathogenic microorganisms (Wang, 2007; Jura-Morawiec & Tulik, 2016; Ding et al ., 2020; Maděra et al ., 2020). As the main component of dragon’s blood, in addition to pharmacological effects, flavonoids also have many benefits to Dracaena itself during the growth development.…”

“…The origin and identity of dragon’s blood have been confused, and there are many source plants of dragon’s blood, such as Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops and Pterocarpus (Gupta et al ., 2008; Ding et al ., 2020). In nature, Dracaena grows slowly, and only trees over 30-years-old have the possibility to produce dragon’s blood (Edwards et al ., 1997; Wang et al ., 2013; Ding et al ., 2020). For a long time, due to the continuous over-exploitation, its natural resources are threatened with depletion.…”

Structures and Bioactivities of Steroidal Saponins Isolated from the Genera Dracaena and Sansevieria

“…Dragon’s blood is a deep red resin with great commercial value that is obtained from cut leaves, stems and roots from different plant taxa including about six Dracaena plants that grow in China, Southeast Asia, West Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, India, and Macaronesia [ 8 , 9 ]. The resin has remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and it has widely been used in herbal medicines through the world for thousands of years as an efficacious remedy for the treatment of hemorrhage, dysentery, diarrhea, stomach and external ulcers, wounds, leucorrhea, rheumatism, fractures, piles, diabetes, and even tumors [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Dragon Trees, Tertiary Relicts in Current Reality

“…trials published by Bauerová et al [30] show the high regeneration potential of D. cinnabari seeds, an endemic on Socotra (Yemen). Two studies on the Dragon tree resin, one on the traditional way of harvesting resin cinnabari described by Al Okaishi [31], while Ding et al [32] reviewed the progress and achievements from applied history as well as induction techniques that are used for formation of dragon's blood of D. cambodiana, which has taken place in Lengálová et al [33] developed the first model of crown age estimation for D. ombet and D. draco subsp. caboverdeana, species that have an important value for population studies and setting up a framework for conservation et al [34] present the results of an extensive serrulata in Oman and an assessment of its threats.…”