Croton lechleri is a tree found across South America. Traditional medicine has utilised its dark crimson viscous latex, commonly known as Sangre de Grado or Dragon’s Blood, to treat diarrhoea and wound healing. It appears to accelerate the healing of gastric ulcers and suppress cutaneous neurogenic inflammation in vitro and animals.
Traditional medicine has utilised the dark crimson sap of C. lechleri, a tree widespread in many parts of South America, to treat wounds and stomach ulcers. SP-303, a combination of proanthocyanidin oligomers produced from the plant is beneficial in the treatment of traveler’s diarrhoea and AIDS-related diarrhoea. It is now known as Crofelemer. FDA has approved it to treat AIDS-related diarrhoea.
Croton lechleri has been shown to reduce the size of stomach ulcers but human evidence is limited. It has been shown to destroy cancer cells in the lab, but no human trials have been conducted.
A combination of proanthocyanidin oligomers derived from croton lechleri latex has showed promise in the treatment of travellers’ diarrhoea and AIDS-related diarrhoea. The FDA has authorised crofelemer as a prescription medication to treat diarrhoea in AIDS patients who are taking antiretroviral treatment. It may also help decrease stomach discomfort in women with irritable bowel syndrome who have diarrhoea, according to further research.
A clinical study found that Crofelemer helps prevent diarrhoea in breast cancer patients who are taking trastuzumab, pertuzumab, docetaxel, or paclitaxel (THP), or trastuzumab, pertuzumab, docetaxel, and carboplatin (TCHP). Crofelemer was shown to be no more efficacious than placebo in AIDS patients with recurrent genital herpes. In contrast, a cream combining croton lechler resin and pomegranate seed oil was found to be beneficial in avoiding and treating skin abnormalities associated with dermal scarring.
To get rid of diarrhoea
C. lechleri has been proven to be beneficial in treating traveler’s diarrhoea and AIDS-related diarrhoea in clinical studies.
In order to treat cancer
C. lechleri has been shown to destroy cancer cells in the lab, but human evidence is limited.
For the treatment of viral infections
C. lechleri was shown to be no more efficacious than placebo in treating recurrent genital herpes lesions in AIDS patients in one clinical study.
For the treatment of stomach ulcers
C. lechleri has been shown to reduce the size of stomach ulcers in animals, but no human trials have been done.
For the treatment of wounds
There are no human research that support this usage, however animal studies show that C. lechleri can reduce the amount of time needed to complete a task.
In two intestinal epithelial cell lines, SP-303, a combination of proanthocyanidin oligomers, blocked cAMP-mediated chloride secretion. The intestinal antisecretory activity might be explained by the dual inhibitory effect of crofelemer, a pure proanthocyanidin oligomer, on two structurally unrelated prosecretory intestinal Cl(-) channels. By suppressing sensory afferent nerve activity, the sap of C. lechleri reduced capsaicin-mediated chloride secretion. It irrevocably changed the microtubule structure of cancer cells in another research, inhibiting adhesion and triggering death. Although the mechanism is unknown, it likewise reduced the mutagenicity of 2-Aminoanthracene.
Topical administration of Taspine, an alkaloid derived from the sap of C. lechleri, to a wound site increased wound healing activity and wound tensile strength 5-7 days after damage . Taspine acts as a chemotactic agent for fibroblasts and improves wound healing by increasing fibroblast migration to the wound site.
