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Planta Med 1994; 60(6): 541-545
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-959567
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© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Studies on the Anti-Tumour, Anti-Bacterial, and Wound-Healing Properties of Dragon's Blood1

Zhen-Ping Chen, Ya Cai, J. David Phillipson
  • Department of Pharmacognosy, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, U.K.
1 Part 4 in the series “Biological and Chemical Investigation of Dragon's Blood from Croton Species of South America”. For Part 3, see Ref. (10)
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Publication History

1994

1994

Publication Date:
05 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

Three in-vitro assays have been adopted to examine the cytotoxicity and anti-bacterial activity of the blood-red sap of Croton lechleri from Ecuador, and to examine its effect upon the proliferation of endothelial cells. The sap was found not to be cytotoxic. Several simple phenolic compounds and diterpenes showed a potent anti-bacterial activity. The sap has little effect upon the proliferation of endothelial cells, and no single active ingredient was identified. A mechanism for the wound-healing property of the sap has been proposed.

Key words

Croton spp. - Euphorbiaceae - Dragon's blood - Sangre de Grado - cytotoxicity - anti-bacterial - endothelial cells