Dragon’s blood
Composition and Properties of Dragon’s Blood
Dragon’s blood is a red resin produced from a variety of trees growing in South East Asia, East Africa, Canary Islands, West Indies and also in South America. The constituents of this resin are numerous and differ according to their source.The main colorant is a substance called dracorubine. It is noteworthy that the content of dracorubine in natural resin is less than 1%.
Names
Chinese orangeNatural red 31 (NR 31)C.I. 75200, 75210The name comes from the dark red color of the pigment.
Preparation
Dragon’s blood is secreted from the wounded trunk of the tree or can be found in the coverings of the fruit of certain rattan palms.The tree Dracaena cinnabari growing on Socotra island in Yemen
History of Use
Dragon’s blood was in use as a medicine and colorant since ancient times.Examples of use
