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Biological Effects and Medical Treatment
Published in Alan Perkins, Life and Death Rays, 2021
There is also one other intriguing scientific publication claiming that dragon’s blood has a radioprotective effect after exposure to gamma rays and heavy ions. Whilst this might seem to be from the realms of pure fantasy, it is a serious scientific study that was published in the Journal of Radiation Research in 2012. After further scrutiny of this work, it would appear that dragon’s blood is a resin obtained from Dracaena Cochinchinesis, an evergreen tree-like plant found in Asian tropical forests and otherwise known as the dragon tree. The bright red resin taken from the plant is used as a traditional Chinese medicine to promote wound healing and to stop bleeding. Chinese researchers showed that rats injected with dragon’s blood before being exposed to whole body irradiation with gamma rays and heavy ions showed significantly lower levels of biochemical markers associated with radiation-induced damage and inflammation than similarly irradiated control rats.
The late Middle Ages
Published in Michael J. O’Dowd, The History of Medications for Women, 2020
Dragon’s blood is the resin obtained from the Calamus draco or Dracaena draco tree. Entirely different from dragon’s blood is dracunculus (dragon herb or Draconitum), an astringent herb which was thought to be an aphrodisiac and a promoter of the menses (Adams, 1847 p. 97). There are several varieties of the tree, including the Canary, East Indian, Socotrine and South American (Pterocarpus draco) varieties. According to Wootton, ‘Dragon’s blood was first obtained from Socotra and taken with other merchandise by the Arabs to China ... the shrewd Arabs invented the name Dragon’s blood to please their Chinese customers’ (1910). In olden pharmacy dragon’s blood was used as a mild astringent to arrest bleeding, and it was also used as a varnish for violins. In some parts of Europe dragon’s blood had a reputation as a charm to restore love: ‘Maidens whose swains are unfaithful or neglected procure a piece, wrap it in paper, and throw it on the fire saying: “May he no pleasure or profit see, till he come back again to me”‘ (Wootton, 1910).
Catalog of Herbs
Published in James A. Duke, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
Resins derived from the scales of the fruit, used to tint plasters, tinctures, toothpaste, tortoiseshell (imitation), and varnishes, even staining marble a deep red. In the orient bamboo furniture is stained with the resin. The astringent resin was once used in collynums, den-trifices, and mouth washes.8 Some of the dragon’s blood species are used in dart poisons.5 The bright crimson powder processed from the fruits is easily ignited.
Saffron and its derivatives, crocin, crocetin and safranal: a patent review
Published in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2018
Maryam Rameshrad, Bibi Marjan Razavi, Hossein Hosseinzadeh
Due to traditional application of saffron against inflammation, infection, and immunomodulation, large number of available product have been formulated in this field. It has been demonstrated that mixture of C. sativus, notoginseng root, frankincense, myrrha, sappan wood, Radix Dipsaci, honeysuckle flower, jiulongjin, and dragon’s blood could help treat bone fracture [128]. An interesting invention includes C. sativus, one adult Zoacys dhumnades, and white liquor. After killing a Zoacys dhumnades and removing the head and internal organs (the body, the bile, and the skin of the Zoacys dhumnades is reserved), its body is filled with C. sativus and the white liquor, and carried out closed storage for at least 2 months. Findings disclosed that this composition could enhance immune cells function, improve body resistance, and inhibit ankylosing spondylitis, with 100% efficacy in 16 investigated patients [129].
Prokineticin 2 relieves hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injury through activation of Akt/mTOR pathway in H9c2 cardiomyocytes
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2020
Gang Su, Guangli Sun, Hai Liu, Liliang Shu, Weiwei Zhang, Zhenxing Liang
The Akt/mTOR signalling pathway is a well-recognized signal transduction pathway that participates in the regulation of cell proliferation, adhesion, apoptosis and survival under pathological conditions [25]. Accumulating evidence shows that the Akt/mTOR pathway is involved in cardiomyocyte protection against hypoxia-induced injury [26]. It was documented that ginsenoside Rg1 protected cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced cell injury through activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway [27]. Moreover, a previous study reported that miR-21 inhibited H/R-induced autophagy and apoptosis in H9c2 cells by the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway [28]. In addition, it was demonstrated that dragon’s blood extracts exerted cardioprotective efficacy against myocardial injury in AMI mouse model through activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway [12]. In our study, we showed that H/R exposure suppressed the activation of Akt/mTOR pathway in H9c2 cardiomyocytes, consistent with the previous study [29]. PK2 activated the Akt/mTOR pathway in H/R-exposed H9c2 cardiomyocytes, which was in accordance with the previous report [11]. We also found that PK2 treatment recuperated H/R-induced enhancement of MDA content and inhibition of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities by activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. It has been demonstrated that NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2) is an important factor associated with the expression of cytoprotective genes in response to oxidative stress [30]. Nrf2 knockdown inhibited the expression of Nrf2 downstream target genes, including SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px, at the mRNA and protein levels in H9c2 cells [31]. Nrf2 expression was mediated by the Akt/mTOR pathway [31,32]. Therefore, we inferred that PK2 could increase protein levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in H/R-exposed H9c2 cardiomyocytes.