Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Targuá is the thick red sap of Croton draco, a tree of Mexico and Central America. The sap looks like blood, which is why the tree is called dragon's blood. It is used mostly on the skin and in the mouth.
The tree grows in warm lowland forest. A cut in the bark makes the red latex seep out within seconds. Healers collected it fresh and dabbed it straight onto the skin.
Human evidence for Targuá is thin. Most testing has been done on related trees, not on this one. Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
Targuá is an astringent, which means it makes tissue draw tight and feel dry.
In test tubes, its tannins bind to protein and form a thin film. On a small scrape, that film may act like a temporary seal. Whether it helps a real wound heal faster in people is not settled.
Lab tests on sap from related Croton trees slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Animal studies of taspine, one of its compounds, show faster wound closure. These are not human results, and they may not carry over to skin.
A purified extract of the cousin tree Croton lechleri became the drug crofelemer. In trials, that drug cuts watery diarrhoea. Raw Targuá sap is a different thing and has not been shown to do the same.
Most people meet Targuá as raw red sap or as a small bottle of liquid.
Raw and bottled forms: - Fresh latex taken straight from a cut in the bark. - Bottled sap, often sold as sangre de drago.
Ready-made products: - Creams, gels and ointments for skin. - Mouth rinses and throat drops.
Capsules and powders are sold as well, but they are less common.
Many products labelled "dragon's blood" come from other plants. Croton lechleri, Daemonorops palms and Dracaena trees are all sold under that name. Check the species on the label before you buy.
Healers in Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica used this red sap for centuries. It was painted on cuts, scrapes and insect bites. It was also used for sore gums and mouth ulcers.
Spanish colonial writers described red tree sap used as a wound dressing. The name targuá comes from Costa Rica. Other local names all point to the blood-red look of the latex.
Some village healers gave the sap by mouth for stomach upset and loose stools. These practices passed on by word of mouth and by family habit. They were never tested the way a modern medicine is tested.
Stop using Targuá and see a doctor if any of these happen: - The wound spreads, weeps pus, or you get a fever. - A rash, blisters or swelling appear where you applied it. - Your lips, tongue or face swell, or breathing gets tight. This is an emergency; call emergency services. - You vomit, cramp badly or feel faint after swallowing it. - Diarrhoea lasts more than two days, or there is blood or black stool. - Your skin or eyes look yellow, or your urine turns dark.
Tell your doctor you used the sap. It can stain skin and confuse how a wound looks.
In the United States and the European Union, Targuá is not an approved medicine. It is sold as a supplement, a cosmetic or a craft product, and those rules do not check that it works. Crofelemer, a purified extract of the related tree Croton lechleri, is a separate prescription drug.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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