Compound Dragon’s blood capsule alleviates the degree of myocardial ischemia by improving inflammation and oxidative stress

Background: Compound Dragon's blood capsule (CDC) is a patent medicine mainly composed of dragon’s blood (Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S. C. Chen), notoginseng (Parmx notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen) and borneol (C10H18O) for the treatment of stabilize coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial ischemia (MI). This paper is to investigate the anti-myocardial ischemia properties of CDC both in vivo and vitro.Methods: The fingerprint of CDC was established by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. The hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model was established by using H9c2 cells. The levels of LDH, SOD and MDA were detected by colorimetric method. Moreover, the MI model of rats was established by isoprenaline hydrochloride (ISO), the mortality rate was recorded, the changes in J point of electrocardiogram were determined, the expressions of the myocardial markers, oxidative stress markers (CK, CK-MB, LDH and SOD) and inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β and NO) in serum were detected. Results: The fingerprint of CDC was established and 10 mainly active components were identified: 7,4'-dihydroxyflavone, resveratrol, loureirin A, loureirin B, pterostilbene were identified from Dragon's blood, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, oleanolic acid, ginsenoside Rd were identified from notoginseng. In vitro study, CDC significantly improved H9c2 cell viability and SOD level (P < 0.05), decreased LDH and MDA level (P < 0.05). In vivo study, CDC increased survival rate and SOD level of serum, decreased J-point of ECG, CK-MB, LDH, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 level (P < 0.05).Conclusions: CDC had a significant anti-myocardial ischemia effect by alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress, suggesting that CDC is a suitable adjuvent to treat CHD, dragon’s blood has the prospect of developing other new drugs.

Doron medicum—the gift of medicine: How a rare 17th century medical translation positively impacted the community and predicted current analgesic techniques

In 1683, a self-proclaimed apothecary physician and London professor of physick by the name of Guilelmus (William) Salmon authored a pharmacopoeia titled Doron medicum, the ‘gift of medicine’ (Greek/Latin translation). This text formulates an English supplement to the Latin Materia medica (16th century), discussing internal and external compound medicines of the late 17th century. This pharmacopoeia enabled those incapable of reading Latin to provide medical care to a challenging post-plague community. Opiology, mercury, dragon’s blood, willow bark, animal preparations and therapies now considered obscure, provide insight into therapies at the time. Early critical care treatments in haemorrhage control and pain management are described. Doron medicum preceded the controversial opening by the College of Physicians of the first London Dispensary in 1698, and was published in a maturing period of medical governance and healthcare establishment in London. During the 17th century, great competition and debate existed between the Royal College of Physicians and the apothecaries. Throughout such debates, William Salmon advocated for access to medical care for the poor and recognition of an allied approach to healthcare. This paper discusses Salmon’s contribution to medicine, which has been poorly transcribed in medical history. A selection of opiate-based analgesic therapies, early critical care strategies and animal preparations are revisited. A small chronicle of William Salmon’s life and professional achievements will be reviewed. Debate surrounding the opening of the first London Dispensary will be discussed in relation to William Salmon’s contribution, echoing ongoing contemporary challenges in healthcare over 300 years later.

“Take dragon’s blood and crush it to a fine powder”: recipes in the alchemical composite manuscript MS Gotha orient A. 1162

In the Middle Ages, the recipe was of central importance for the safeguarding and transmission of knowledge. This holds true for the scientific traditions of both the East and the West. Recipes have been transmitted in a multitude of manuscripts, either alone or in combination with other recipes and works. This article presents a collection of recipes for the production of inks that have been handed down in an alchemical collective manuscript. The collection also contains a recipe to ward off the pestilence. This combination of alchemy, healing rituals and ink production is more common than one might think. The question arises whether this is due to pure coincidence or whether such collections reflect a literary tradition?

To the River and Back

An idealized principal narrative course is reconstructed for the medieval Germanic dragon fight. The motifs reviewed include: the transformation of a man into a dragon whilst lying on treasure; the generation of a dragon from a corpse; the development of a tiny worm into a vast dragon; the offering of a princess’s hand to a champion; the champion’s protective clothing; his ambushing of the dragon between its cave-lair and a water-source; the dragon’s uniquely vulnerable spot; the champion’s named sword; the special properties of the dragon’s blood. A pair of recurring narrative subroutines are also investigated: in one the champion intervenes on a lion’s behalf upon coming across it engaged in a fight with a dragon, and after killing the dragon has lifelong loyal pet in the lion; in the other the champion is cast into a snake pit, with varying outcomes.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Dracaena cinnabari Resin

Dracaena cinnabari (D. cinnabari) is an endemic plant located in Socotra Island, Yemen. Deep red resin attained from different plant species including D. cinnabari is commonly known as dragon’s blood. In folk medicine, it is prescribed for the treatment of traumatic dermal, dental, and eye injuries as well as blood stasis, pain, and gastrointestinal diseases in humans. Numerous studies have investigated that this resinous medicine has antidiarrheal, antiulcer, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, wound healing, and antioxidant activity. Several phytochemicals have been isolated from D. cinnabari, including the biflavonoid cinnabarone, triflavonoids, metacyclophanes, chalcones, chalcanes, dihydrochalcones, sterols, and terpenoids. The present review highlights the structures and bioactivities of main phytochemicals isolated from D. cinnabari regarding the botany and pharmacological effects of the resin derived from this plant.

FISH-Based Karyotype Analyses of Four Dracaena Species

The genus <i>Dracaena</i> is the main source of dragon’s blood, which is a plant resin and has been used as traditional medicine since ancient times in different civilizations. However, the chromosome numbers and karyotypes present in this genus remain poorly understood. In this study, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using oligonucleotide probes for ribosomal DNAs (5S and 45S rDNA) and telomeric repeats (TTTAGGG)₃ was applied to analyze 4 related species: <i>Dracaena terniflora</i> Roxb., <i>Dracaena cambodiana</i> Pierre ex Gagnep., Aizong (<i>Dracaena</i> sp.), and <i>Dracaena cochinchinensis</i> (Lour.) S.C. Chen. In all 4 species, both 5S and 45S rDNA showed hybridization signals in the paracentromeric region of a pair of chromosomes; the sizes of the 45S rDNA signals were larger than those of the 5S rDNA. Importantly, the telomeric repeat signals were located in the telomeric regions of almost all chromosomes. The results indicated that the chromosome number of all 4 <i>Dracaena</i> species is 2n = 40, and the lengths of the mitotic metaphase chromosomes range from 0.99 to 2.98 μm. Our results provide useful cytogenetic information, which will be beneficial to future studies in genome structure of the genus <i>Dracaena</i>.

Dragon’s Blood from Dracaena Worldwide: Species, Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Dragon’s blood (DB) refers mainly to the crimson resin of many Dracaena spp. DB has been used by different traditional medicine systems worldwide, including Arabic medicine, African medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Thai medicine, etc. DB are mainly used to heal wounds, kill pain, stop bleeding, and cure various diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery and ulcers for over 1000 years. 11 Dracaena spp. and 3 subspecies are reported to be able to produce red resin. However, the resources are extremely deficient. Several Dracaena spp. are in threatened status. Over 300 compounds have been isolated from Dracaena spp., mainly including flavonoids, steroids, and phenolics. DB exhibits anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antithrombotic, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, which explain its wound healing effects, preventive effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, dual-directional regulation of blood flow, neuroprotection and radioprotective effects. No apparent side effects or toxicity have been reported. DB are restricted from being exploited due to limited resources and unclear resin formation mechanism. It is necessary to expand the cultivation of Dracaena spp. and fully understand the mechanism underlying the resin formation process to develop an effective induction method for the sustainable utilization of DB.

Correction to: Dragonfies of Dragon’s Blood Island: Atlas of the Odonata of the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-021-01006-z