The Secret Life of Chanyoiy: Bridging Centuries of Healing from Deep Forests to Modern Medicine
In Thailand’s evergreen forests, the sight of a great dipterocarp tree bleeding golden resin after a monsoon storm would be familiar to generations past. To many, this thick aromatic substance—locally known as “ชันย้อย” (Chanyoiy)—seems little more than nature’s bandage. Yet, for centuries, the dried exudates from Dipterocarpaceae family trees such as the Yang Na, Takhian Thong, Teng, and Rang have been treasured by Thai traditional healers and rural communities, forming a bridge between ancient ethnobotanical wisdom and today’s rebirth of plant-based therapeutics. What lies behind the enduring appeal of Chanyoiy, and does modern science validate its traditional role?