Indian Kino
pterocarpus marsupium

AKA: Malabar Kino, Pitasara, Venga

The tree is the source of the Kino
of the European pharmacopeas.
The gum-resin looks like dried blood (Dragon’s blood),
much used in Indian medicine.
This herb has a long history of use in India
as a treatment for diabetes.
The flavonoid, (-)-epicatechin, extracted from the bark
of this plant has been shown to prevent
alloxan-induced beta cell damage in rats.

Both epicatechin and a crude alcohol extract
of pterocarpus marsupium have actually been shown
to regenerate functional pancreatic beta cells.
No other drug or natural agent has been shown
to generate this activity.



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