Herb Resin / Sap (树脂 shù zhī / 汁 zhī)

Xue Jie

Dragon's blood resin · 血竭

Daemonorops draco Bl. · Resina Draconis

Also known as: Qílín Jié (麒麟竭), Qílín Xuè (麒麟血), Hǎi Là (海蜡),

Xue Jie (Dragon's blood resin) plant

Images shown are for educational purposes only

Dragon's blood resin is a deep red resin prized in Chinese medicine for its ability to move stagnant Blood, relieve pain, stop bleeding, and promote wound healing. It has been called the "holy medicine for harmonising Blood" and is most widely used in trauma and injury formulas, as well as for chronic non-healing wounds and sores. It can be taken internally in small powdered doses or applied externally to wounds.

Category Blood-invigorating and stasis-dispelling herbs (活血化瘀药) Herbs that transform stasis and stop bleeding (化瘀止血药)
Therapeutic focus Injury and Trauma Recovery Skin and Wound Care Pain Management Menstrual Health

TCM Properties

Temperature

Neutral

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān), Salty (咸 xián)

Channels entered

Heart, Liver

Parts used

Resin / Sap (树脂 shù zhī / 汁 zhī)

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Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment

What This Herb Does

Every herb has a specific set of actions — here's what Xue Jie does in the body, explained in both everyday and TCM terms

Therapeutic focus

In practical terms, Xue Jie is primarily used to support these areas of health:

Injury and Trauma Recovery Skin and Wound Care Pain Management Menstrual Health

TCM Actions

In TCM terminology, these are the specific therapeutic actions that Xue Jie performs to restore balance in the body:

Invigorates Blood and Alleviates Pain Dispels Stasis and Stops Bleeding Promotes Tissue Regeneration and Heals Sores

How these actions work

'Invigorates Blood and relieves pain' means Xuè Jié actively moves stagnant Blood and unblocks the channels, which reduces swelling and pain. This is why it has been a core ingredient in trauma medicine for centuries. It is especially suited to pain from physical injuries such as falls, fractures, sprains, and contusions, as well as internal Blood stasis causing chest or abdominal stabbing pain, painful periods, or postpartum abdominal pain from retained Blood clots.

'Dispels stasis and stops bleeding' describes its unique dual action: it breaks up old, stagnant Blood while simultaneously helping to stop active bleeding. Because it resolves stasis as it stops bleeding, it does not trap old Blood inside the body the way purely astringent hemostatics can. This makes it particularly valuable for traumatic bleeding and upper digestive tract bleeding, where both stopping the bleed and clearing the stasis are important.

'Promotes tissue regeneration and heals sores' refers to its ability to encourage new tissue growth, protect wound surfaces, and help stubborn, non-healing ulcers and sores close up. Applied externally as a powder or mixed into ointments, it forms a protective layer over wounds, prevents infection, and accelerates healing. This action is used for chronic skin ulcers, hemorrhoids, and surgical wounds that are slow to close.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony. Xue Jie is used to help correct these specific patterns.

Why Xue Jie addresses this pattern

Xuè Jié's sweet and salty tastes guide it directly into the Blood level of the Heart and Liver channels, where it powerfully invigorates Blood and disperses stasis. Its neutral temperature means it can be used in Blood Stagnation regardless of whether there is accompanying Heat or Cold. By breaking up congealed Blood and reopening the channels, it directly addresses the core pathomechanism of Blood Stagnation: obstruction of Blood flow causing fixed, stabbing pain, swelling, and tissue damage. Li Shizhen described it as acting on the Jueyin channels (Liver and Pericardium), which both govern Blood, making it particularly focused on the Blood level compared to herbs like frankincense and myrrh that also enter the Qi level.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Chest Pain

Fixed, stabbing chest or abdominal pain from Blood stasis

Bruising

Bruising and swelling from traumatic injury

Painful Periods

Menstrual pain with dark clotted blood

Abdominal Pain

Postpartum abdominal pain from retained stasis

Commonly Used For

These are conditions where Xue Jie is frequently used — but only when they arise from the specific patterns it addresses, not in all cases

Arises from: Blood Stagnation

TCM Interpretation

In TCM, bruising and swelling after physical trauma are understood as Blood leaving its normal pathways and accumulating in the tissues, creating localised Blood Stasis. The impact damages the channels and collaterals, causing Blood to pool and stagnate. This stagnation produces the characteristic discolouration, swelling, and sharp pain that worsens with pressure. The Liver, which stores Blood and governs the smooth flow of Qi and Blood, is the primary organ system involved. If the stasis is not cleared, it can lead to prolonged pain and impaired healing.

Why Xue Jie Helps

Xuè Jié enters the Liver and Heart channels, both of which govern Blood. Its primary action is to invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, directly targeting the pooled, stagnant Blood that causes bruising and swelling. Its neutral temperature means it can be used in acute trauma without risk of adding unwanted Heat or Cold. It is frequently combined with Rǔ Xiāng (frankincense) and Mò Yào (myrrh) in classical trauma formulas like Qī Lí Sǎn, where it serves as the lead herb. Modern pharmacological research confirms it has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and circulation-enhancing effects that support its traditional use in injury recovery.

Also commonly used for

Wounds

Traumatic wounds and surgical wounds slow to heal

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids with pain and swelling

Absence Of Menstruation

Amenorrhea from Blood stasis

Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Upper digestive tract bleeding

Postpartum Abdominal Pain

Postpartum pain from retained Blood stasis

Chest Pain

Chest and abdominal pain from Blood stasis

Herb Properties

Every herb has an inherent temperature, taste, and affinity for specific channels — these properties determine how it interacts with the body

Temperature

Neutral

Taste

Sweet (甘 gān), Salty (咸 xián)

Channels Entered

Heart Liver

Parts Used

Resin / Sap (树脂 shù zhī / 汁 zhī)

Dosage & Preparation

These are general dosage guidelines for Xue Jie — always follow your practitioner's recommendation, as dosages vary based on the formula and your individual condition

Standard dosage

1-2g

Maximum dosage

Up to 2g for internal use as ground powder or in pill form. Do not exceed this dosage for oral administration. External use amounts are adjusted as needed for the wound or affected area.

Dosage notes

Xue Jie is not typically used in standard decoctions because the resin does not dissolve well in water. It is almost always taken as ground powder (swallowed directly, often with warm wine or water), incorporated into pills, or used externally as powder applied to wounds or mixed into plaster formulations. For internal use treating Blood stasis pain (traumatic injuries, dysmenorrhea, abdominal stasis pain): 1-2g ground powder taken orally, typically 1-3 times daily. For external use (wound healing, non-healing ulcers, hemorrhoids): an appropriate amount of fine powder is sprinkled directly on the wound or mixed into ointment formulations. There is no fixed upper limit for external application. The classical formula Qi Li San (七厘散) uses Xue Jie as the chief ingredient at a proportion of 500g per batch, with an oral dose of 1-1.5g of the finished powder taken 1-3 times daily.

Preparation

Xue Jie should NOT be decocted in standard water decoctions, as the resin is insoluble in water. Instead, it is ground into a fine powder separately and either swallowed directly (often with warm wine or warm water), mixed into prepared pills, or dissolved into a strained decoction liquid at the end. For external use, the fine powder is applied directly to wounds or mixed into ointment bases. The Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun instructs: grind into powder first, sieve finely, and do not pound together with other herbs, as it will disperse into dust and be lost. Processing into powder is best done during cold, dry winter weather when the resin is at its most brittle.

Processing Methods

In TCM, the same herb can be prepared in different ways to change its effects — here's how processing alters what Xue Jie does

Processing method

The raw resin is wiped clean of dust, broken into small pieces, dried in a lime jar during dry winter weather until brittle, and then ground into a fine powder. As stated in the Léi Gōng Pào Zhì Lùn, it should be ground and sieved separately and not pounded together with other herbs, as it would become airborne dust.

How it changes properties

This is not a true change of properties but rather the standard preparation method. The grinding into fine powder is essential because the resin is too hard and sticky to decoct, and it cannot be boiled. The powdered form allows it to be dissolved in warm liquid for internal use or applied directly to wounds for external use. Temperature, taste, and actions remain unchanged.

When to use this form

This is the standard and essentially only form used. Xuè Jié is always ground into powder before use, whether being taken internally (dissolved in warm wine or water, or pressed into pills) or applied externally to wounds.

Common Herb Pairs

These ingredients are traditionally combined with Xue Jie for enhanced therapeutic effect

Mo Yao
Mo Yao 1:1 (equal parts)

Xuè Jié and Mò Yào (myrrh) together powerfully break up stagnant Blood and relieve pain. Both are tree resins that specialise in Blood stasis, but Xuè Jié works exclusively in the Blood level while Mò Yào also enters the Qi level. Together they address both the Qi and Blood components of stasis-related pain, creating a stronger analgesic and anti-swelling effect than either herb alone.

When to use: Traumatic injuries with severe Blood stasis, swelling, and pain. Also used for postpartum abdominal pain from retained Blood clots, and abdominal masses from Blood stasis.

Ru Xiang
Ru Xiang 1:1 (equal parts)

Xuè Jié combined with Rǔ Xiāng (frankincense) produces a synergy between Blood-moving and Qi-moving actions. Rǔ Xiāng excels at moving Qi and relaxing the sinews, while Xuè Jié focuses on dissolving Blood stasis. Together they promote wound healing and tissue regeneration while reducing pain, making them one of the most important pairings in trauma and surgical medicine.

When to use: Non-healing wounds, chronic ulcers, and sores that fail to close. Also for traumatic injuries with combined Qi and Blood stagnation causing both stiffness and pain.

San Qi
San Qi 1:1

Xuè Jié and Sān Qī (notoginseng) together create a powerful combination for both stopping bleeding and dispersing stasis. Sān Qī is renowned for stopping bleeding without trapping stasis, and Xuè Jié shares this same quality. Together they address traumatic bleeding where both hemostasis and stasis removal are critical, producing a stronger effect than either herb alone.

When to use: Traumatic bleeding with significant Blood stasis, including external wounds and internal injuries. Also for upper gastrointestinal bleeding with accompanying stasis pain.

Er Cha
Er Cha Xuè Jié 30g : Ér Chá 7.5g (as in Qī Lí Sǎn)

Xuè Jié paired with Ér Chá (cutch/catechu) combines Blood-invigorating and wound-healing properties with Ér Chá's astringent, hemostatic, and tissue-regenerating actions. Ér Chá cools slightly and astringes while Xuè Jié warms and moves, creating a balanced approach to wound closure that clears stasis, stops bleeding, and grows new tissue.

When to use: External wounds with active bleeding and poor healing, including knife wounds and traumatic lacerations. They appear together in Qī Lí Sǎn.

Key Formulas

These well-known formulas feature Xue Jie in a prominent role

Qi Li San 七厘散 King

Qī Lí Sǎn from the Liáng Fāng Jí Yè is the most iconic trauma formula in Chinese medicine. Xuè Jié serves as the King herb at 30g (the largest dose by far), showcasing its core actions of invigorating Blood, relieving pain, stopping bleeding, and promoting wound healing. This formula demonstrates every major action of Xuè Jié in a single prescription.

Die Da Wan 跌打丸 Deputy

Diē Dǎ Wán is one of the most widely used patent medicines for traumatic injuries, featuring Xuè Jié alongside Dāng Guī, Chuān Xiōng, Rǔ Xiāng, Mò Yào, and Tǔ Biē Chóng. Xuè Jié plays a Deputy role, contributing its Blood-invigorating and tissue-healing properties to the formula's overall strategy of dispersing stasis and relieving trauma pain.

Sheng Ji Yu Hong Gao 生肌玉紅膏 Deputy

Shēng Jī Yù Hóng Gāo from the Wài Kē Zhèng Zōng is a classical topical ointment for chronic non-healing wounds and ulcers. Xuè Jié serves as Deputy, showcasing its tissue-regenerating and wound-healing action (生肌敛疮). This formula demonstrates Xuè Jié's external application, where it is dissolved into oil and forms a protective, healing barrier over damaged skin.

Comparable Ingredients

These ingredients have overlapping uses — here's how to tell them apart

Ru Xiang
Xue Jie vs Ru Xiang

Both Rǔ Xiāng (frankincense) and Xuè Jié invigorate Blood, relieve pain, and promote tissue regeneration, and they are often used together. However, Rǔ Xiāng also strongly moves Qi and relaxes the sinews, making it better for conditions with prominent Qi stagnation and muscle stiffness. Xuè Jié works exclusively in the Blood level and is more specialised for stopping bleeding alongside its stasis-breaking action. Xuè Jié is considerably more expensive and often reserved for more severe cases, while Rǔ Xiāng is used more broadly.

Mo Yao
Xue Jie vs Mo Yao

Mò Yào (myrrh) and Xuè Jié both dispel Blood stasis and relieve pain. Mò Yào enters both the Blood and Qi levels and is slightly better for moving Blood in cases of abdominal masses. Xuè Jié is more specialised in the Blood level, has a stronger hemostatic action, and is more effective at promoting tissue regeneration and healing chronic wounds. As Li Shizhen noted, frankincense and myrrh work across both Qi and Blood, while Xuè Jié works exclusively in the Blood.

San Qi
Xue Jie vs San Qi

Both Sān Qī and Xuè Jié stop bleeding without trapping stasis, making them similar in concept. However, Sān Qī is a much more versatile herb: it strongly tonifies while also moving Blood, and it is the primary single herb for both trauma and cardiovascular stasis. Xuè Jié's strength lies more in external wound healing and tissue regeneration. Sān Qī can be taken as a standalone remedy at higher doses, while Xuè Jié is typically used in small doses within formulas.

Common Substitutes & Adulterants

Related species and common adulterations to be aware of when sourcing Xue Jie

Xue Jie is one of the most commonly adulterated herbs in the Chinese medicine market due to its high price and reliance on imports. Common adulterants include: 1. Rosin (pine resin, 松香): the most frequent adulterant. Can be detected by its characteristic pine scent when burned (authentic Xue Jie produces an acrid, pungent smoke without a pine smell). Rosin also leaves oily marks on paper when heated, while authentic Xue Jie does not. 2. Red clay, iron oxide, or red mineral pigments: added to increase weight. These are insoluble in 95% ethanol, while authentic Xue Jie dissolves completely. 3. Hai Mu Xue (海母血): mentioned in the Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun as a common look-alike that is salty and fishy-smelling, lacking the faintly sweet-salty, gardenia-like aroma of genuine Xue Jie. 4. Long Xue Jie (龙血竭), from Dracaena cochinchinensis: a legitimate domestic Chinese substitute but pharmacologically distinct. It is often sold as Xue Jie but lacks dracorhodin (the key marker compound in palm-derived Dragon's Blood). Pharmacological studies suggest the imported palm-derived product has superior antiplatelet aggregation effects. Processed (Singapore-processed) Dragon's Blood is often mixed with fillers before being molded into standardized blocks marked with brand stamps (e.g. 'Hand' or 'Crown' brands).

Educational content — always consult a qualified healthcare provider or TCM practitioner before using any herb.

Toxicity Classification

Classical Chinese pharmacopoeia toxicity rating for Xue Jie

Non-toxic

Xue Jie is classified as non-toxic in the modern Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Some older classical sources recorded it as having 'slight toxicity' (有小毒), but modern pharmacological testing has shown this to be inaccurate. Animal studies with continuous administration of both imported palm-derived Dragon's Blood and domestically produced Guangxi Dragon's Blood over 90 days showed no significant organ damage, and no abnormalities in blood cells or liver and kidney function. However, allergic reactions to orally ingested Xue Jie have been documented. Symptoms can include generalized itching, skin flushing, angioedema, blistering, facial swelling, shortness of breath, and drops in blood pressure. A patch test may be advisable before first internal use. These reactions are idiosyncratic allergic responses rather than dose-dependent toxicity.

Contraindications

Situations where Xue Jie should not be used or requires extra caution

Avoid

Pregnancy: Xue Jie actively moves Blood and disperses stasis, which could potentially stimulate uterine contractions or disrupt fetal development. It should not be used during pregnancy.

Caution

Active menstruation with heavy flow: as a Blood-moving herb, Xue Jie may increase menstrual bleeding when there is no underlying Blood stasis. Use with caution during menstrual periods.

Avoid

Known allergy to Xue Jie: documented cases exist of allergic reactions including urticaria, angioedema, skin blistering, facial swelling, dyspnea, and hypotension after oral ingestion. A patch test is advisable before first internal use.

Caution

Bleeding disorders without Blood stasis: Xue Jie is best suited for bleeding that involves underlying stasis. In patients with bleeding due to pure Heat in the Blood or deficiency without stasis, it should be used cautiously and only in appropriate combination.

Caution

Absence of Blood stasis: as a potent stasis-dispersing substance, Xue Jie should not be used when there is no underlying stasis pattern. Classical sources warn it is 'acute in nature' and should not be taken in excess, as it can draw pus in wound conditions.

Special Populations

Important considerations for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pediatric use

Pregnancy

Contraindicated during pregnancy. Xue Jie is a potent Blood-moving and stasis-dispersing substance. Its ability to vigorously activate Blood circulation poses a risk of stimulating uterine contractions and potentially causing miscarriage or premature labor. Classical sources and modern textbooks consistently list pregnancy as a contraindication. The formula Qi Li San (七厘散), which contains Xue Jie as a chief ingredient, is also explicitly contraindicated in pregnancy in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Breastfeeding

Insufficient data on safety during breastfeeding. While Xue Jie is primarily used externally or in small doses as powder (1-2g), its Blood-moving properties raise theoretical concerns about bioactive compounds passing into breast milk. External use on areas away from the breast is generally considered acceptable. Internal use should be approached with caution and only under practitioner guidance during breastfeeding.

Children

Not commonly used in pediatric practice. If prescribed for children (typically for external wound healing), dosage should be proportionally reduced based on age and body weight. External application of powdered Xue Jie to wounds is considered safer than internal use for children. Internal use in children should only be under strict practitioner supervision, given the herb's potent Blood-moving properties and the documented potential for allergic reactions.

Drug Interactions

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, be aware of these potential interactions with Xue Jie

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications: Xue Jie has demonstrated antiplatelet aggregation effects and influences fibrinolytic activity in pharmacological studies. Concurrent use with warfarin, heparin, aspirin, clopidogrel, or other blood-thinning medications may theoretically increase the risk of bleeding. Patients on anticoagulant therapy should avoid Xue Jie or use it only under close medical supervision with appropriate monitoring of coagulation parameters.

No other well-documented pharmaceutical interactions have been established. However, classical sources note that Xue Jie should not be taken with strongly acidic or alkaline foods or substances, as these may alter the resin's solubility and affect its therapeutic activity.

Dietary Advice

Foods and dietary considerations when taking Xue Jie

Avoid strongly acidic or alkaline foods while taking Xue Jie internally, as these may interfere with the resin's properties and reduce its effectiveness. Warm rice wine has been traditionally used as a vehicle for taking Xue Jie powder to enhance its Blood-moving effects. In general, avoid cold and raw foods when using Blood-moving herbs, as cold constricts the channels and may counteract the herb's stasis-dispersing action.

Botanical Description

Physical characteristics and morphology of the Xue Jie source plant

Daemonorops draco Blume (also known as Calamus draco Willd.) is an evergreen climbing rattan palm of the family Arecaceae (Palmae), native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. The plant produces clusters of unbranched stems that can reach 10 to 20 meters in length, densely covered with leaf sheaths bearing sharp spines. The pinnately compound leaves bear alternate, linear-lanceolate leaflets approximately 20 to 30 cm long and 3 cm wide, with three parallel veins. Both the leaf stalks and the central leaf axis are armed with sharp thorns.

The plant is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate individuals. The spadix-type inflorescences bear pale yellow flowers with six tepals in two whorls. Male flowers have six stamens with elongated cone-shaped anthers, while female flowers have a single bottle-shaped pistil with a short style and three-lobed stigma, plus six sterile staminodes. The ovary is densely covered with scales.

The fruits are drupe-like, ovoid-globose, approximately 2 to 3 cm in diameter, reddish-brown, and covered with yellowish scales. The fruit contains a deep red liquid resin that seeps out from beneath the scales and hardens into a blood-like clot when exposed to air. Each fruit contains a single seed. The medicinal product (Sanguis Draconis) is this red resin, collected and processed from the ripe fruits.

Sourcing & Harvesting

Where Xue Jie is sourced, when it's harvested or collected, and how to assess quality

Harvesting season

Autumn (August to December), when fruits have matured approximately 9 months after flowering and resin content is at its peak.

Primary growing regions

The official pharmacopoeia source, Daemonorops draco, is native to the tropical islands of Indonesia, primarily Sumatra (Jambi, Aceh, Riau provinces) and Borneo. It is also found in Malaysia and Iran. Small-scale cultivation exists in Guangdong and Taiwan provinces of China. As an imported commodity, Xue Jie does not have a traditional Chinese 'terroir' (道地药材) region. The highest quality raw (unprocessed) resin comes directly from Indonesian sources. Much of the commercially available product undergoes secondary processing in Singapore before reaching the Chinese market. A domestic Chinese substitute, Long Xue Jie (龙血竭), is produced from Dracaena cochinchinensis in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. While used clinically, it is a distinct product from the pharmacopoeia-defined Xue Jie.

Quality indicators

Good quality Xue Jie should have an exterior that is dark red to blackish-red with a glossy surface. When ground into powder, it should produce a vivid, bright blood-red color (a key quality test: 'black as iron on the outside, red as blood when ground'). When heated or burned, authentic Xue Jie melts without leaving oily stains on paper, appears a vivid blood-red color when held up to light, and produces an acrid, pungent smoke. The resin should be hard and brittle with a smooth, glass-like fracture surface, sometimes showing small pores. It has little to no aroma, a faintly sweet and salty taste, and a gritty, sandy texture when chewed. It should be insoluble in water (water should not become colored when the powder is shaken in it) but fully soluble in 95% hot ethanol. Incomplete dissolution in ethanol suggests adulteration with red clay, iron oxide, rosin, or plant debris.

Classical Texts

Key passages from the classical Chinese medical texts that describe Xue Jie and its therapeutic uses

《本草纲目》(Ben Cao Gang Mu) by Li Shizhen

Original: 骐驎竭，木之脂液，如人之膏血，其味甘咸而走血，盖手足厥阴药也。肝与心包皆主血故尔。河间刘氏云，血竭除血痛，为和血之圣药是矣。乳香、没药，虽主血病，而兼入气分，此则专于血分者也。

Translation: Dragon's Blood is the fat and sap of a tree, like the grease and blood of a person. Its sweet and salty taste makes it move through the Blood, entering the Jueyin channels of the hand and foot [Liver and Pericardium]. Both the Liver and Pericardium govern Blood, hence this effect. Liu Hejian said: 'Dragon's Blood eliminates Blood pain and is the sage medicine for harmonizing Blood.' Frankincense and Myrrh, though they also treat Blood disorders, also enter the Qi aspect, whereas Dragon's Blood works exclusively in the Blood aspect.

《本草经疏》(Ben Cao Jing Shu)

Original: 骐驎竭，甘主补，咸主消，散瘀血、生新血之要药。故主破积血金疮，止痛生肉。

Translation: Dragon's Blood: its sweet flavor supplements, its salty flavor disperses. It is an essential medicine for scattering stagnant Blood and generating new Blood. Therefore it treats accumulated Blood in wounds from metal weapons, stops pain and generates flesh.

《唐本草》(Tang Ben Cao)

Original: 主五脏邪气，带下，止痛，破积血，金创生肉。

Translation: It governs pathogenic Qi of the five Zang organs, vaginal discharge, stops pain, breaks up accumulated Blood, and promotes flesh growth in metal-weapon wounds.

《日华子本草》(Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao)

Original: 治一切恶疮疥癣久不合者，敷。此药性急，亦不可多使，却引脓。

Translation: It treats all stubborn sores, scabies, and ringworm that have long failed to heal, applied topically. This medicine is acute in nature and should not be used excessively, as it can draw pus [to the surface].

Historical Context

The history and evolution of Xue Jie's use in Chinese medicine over the centuries

Xue Jie, anciently called Qilin Jie (麒麟竭, 'Qilin's Blood,' referring to the mythical Chinese chimera), is one of the oldest imported medicinal resins in Chinese medicine. It was first recorded in the Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun (雷公炮炙论), an early text on medicinal processing. Around 1,500 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty, Dragon's Blood was brought to the Chinese capital Chang'an by envoys from the Dashi Kingdom (大食国, the Arabic world) via the Silk Road, becoming a prized imperial medicine.

The Ming Dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen famously called it the 'sage medicine for harmonizing Blood' (和血之圣药), attributing this praise to the Jin-Yuan physician Liu Hejian. Li Shizhen also corrected earlier classification errors: the Lei Gong Pao Zhi Lun and Xin Xiu Ben Cao had confused Dragon's Blood with Zi Kuang (紫矿, lac resin from insects), listing them together. Li Shizhen clarified that Dragon's Blood is a tree resin and reclassified it under the wood section of the Ben Cao Gang Mu.

The botanical identity of Xue Jie has been remarkably confused throughout history. At least four plant families have contributed products called 'Dragon's Blood' in China. In the 1970s, Professor Cai Xitao of the Yunnan Tropical Botanical Institute discovered that the original Dragon's Blood imported via the Silk Road likely came from Dracaena species (dragon trees), not the palm-family source now listed in the pharmacopoeia. He found Dracaena cochinchinensis growing in Yunnan, establishing a domestic Chinese dragon's blood industry (龙血竭). The current pharmacopoeia (2020 edition) designates the palm Daemonorops draco as the official source, though debate about the 'authentic' botanical origin continues in academic circles.

Modern Research

4 published studies investigating the pharmacological effects or clinical outcomes of Xue Jie

1

Review: Dragon's Blood: Botany, Chemistry and Therapeutic Uses (2008)

Gupta D, Bleakley B, Gupta RK. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2008, 115(3): 361-380.

A comprehensive review covering the various botanical sources of Dragon's Blood worldwide, their phytochemistry, and laboratory and clinical evidence for analgesic, hemostatic, antidiarrheal, antirheumatic, antitumor, antiviral, wound-healing, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities.

2

In vitro study: Anti-inflammatory, Pro-proliferative and Antimicrobial Potential of Compounds Isolated from Daemonorops draco (2021)

Apaza Ticona L, Rumbero Sánchez Á, Sánchez Sánchez-Corral J, Iglesias Moreno P, Ortega Domenech M. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2021, 268: 113668.

Researchers isolated three compounds (bexarotene, taspine, and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone) from D. draco resin for the first time. These showed anti-inflammatory activity (NF-kB inhibition, Nrf2 activation), pro-proliferative effects on skin cells, and antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus and Candida, supporting the traditional wound-healing use.

3

In vitro study: Daemonorops draco Blume Induces Apoptosis Against Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells (2022)

Park S, Jeon H, Rahman MH, Park J, Jeong S, Kim B, Kim E, Kim SH, Kim B. Frontiers in Oncology, 2022, 12: 808174.

This preclinical study found that D. draco extract induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines through mitochondria-mediated caspase activation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and reactive oxygen species generation, regulated via miR-216b/c-Jun signaling. The study is exploratory and has not been tested in humans.

PubMed
4

In vivo animal study: Hypoglycemic Effects of Dracorhodin and Dragon Blood Crude Extract from Daemonorops draco (2024)

Chen HC, You RI, Lin FM, Lin GL, Ho TJ, Chen HP. Botanical Studies, 2024, 65(1): 14.

Researchers found that dracorhodin (the main active pigment in D. draco resin) and crude Dragon's Blood extracts stimulated glucose uptake in mouse muscle cells in vitro. When given orally to mice, crude extracts showed a decreasing trend in fasting blood glucose over 10 weeks, suggesting potential hypoglycemic activity that warrants further clinical investigation.

Research on individual TCM herbs is growing but still limited by Western clinical trial standards. These studies provide emerging evidence and should be considered alongside practitioner expertise.