Brazilian researchers have discovered a compound in fruits and vegetables that can neutralize the venom of the venomous pit viper, a common South American snake. According to Online Reptile Data, the snake, called Bothrops gerarca, kills an estimated 26,000 people in Brazil each year.
The study, conducted at the Butanton Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, found that a modified version of a compound called rutin could delay the effects of a snake bite.
Thanks to this research result, anti-botheropic serum can help in the treatment of this venomous snake bite. This will provide immediate medical assistance to snakebite cases in rural areas where immediate medical assistance is not possible.
Marcelo Santoro, who coordinated the research, said that the serum treats the underlying effect of snakebite. In this way, he said, Revitin would act not as a substitute for serum, but as an adjunct, controlling blood flow and inflammation while delaying the effects of the venom.