Dragon's blood

Chemical Properties

The resin exuding from the fruit of Malaysian rattan palm. Most of the Malaysian supply comes from unripe, scaly, cherry-sized fruits of eight species of climbing jungle palms (rattan) belonging to the genus Daemonorops. The resin is collected by shaking the dry fruits in baskets filled with cockleshells. The friction detaches the resin, which falls through the bottom of the basket in the form of a gritty powder. The latter is then pounded to dust, softened with hot water and molded into cakes. Dragon’s blood is an astringent and a colorant.

Definition

Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. It is a product which may contain resin acids and their esters, terpenes, and oxidation or polymerization products of these terpenes. (Daemonorops, Palmae).

Essential oil composition

The color of the extracts (red) derives from the presence of dracorubin. The resin also contains benzoic acid and tannin. Dragon’s blood has been reported to contain dracoflavans B1, B2, C1, C2, D1 and D2, new A-type deoxyproanthocyanidins.

Raw materials

Preparation Products