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.
