Pharmacological effects of dragon’s blood from Dranaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen and its application in cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Dragon’s blood (Resina Draconis) is the red resin of Dracaena spp, which has a variety of biological activities and pharmacological effects, including anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, analgesic, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, and immunosuppressive. In China, the main source of dragon’s blood is Dranaena Cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen. A wide array of studies have speculated that the dragon’s blood derived from Dranaena Cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen possesses cardiovascular protective effects. It has been reported that Chinese dragon’s blood can potentially alleviate and treat conditions such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and myocardial ischemia–reperfusion through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which have not been systematically stated in previous reviews. Moreover, the precise underlying pharmacological mechanisms through which the Chinese dragon’s blood exhibits cardioprotective effects are not fully understood. Therefore, this article discusses the pharmacological action and biomolecular mechanism of dragon’s blood from Dranaena Cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen and how it prevents and protects against cardiovascular diseases. The review article concludes with prospects for further application of dragon’s blood in respect to cardiovascular diseases.