A sticky, biodegradable gel made from okra can stem bleeding in injured organs in dogs and rabbits

Health 11 October 2022

Something in okra encourages blood clotting and stops blood flowing

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A sticky gel made from the vegetable okra stops bleeding in the injured hearts and livers of dogs and rabbits. This biodegradable bandage could potentially be used in humans if it is shown to be safe and effective.

Bleeding from punctured organs is commonly stemmed by using sutures, but this can cause inflammation and sometimes a person dies before sutures can be sewn. As a result, gels made from a protein called fibrin are sometimes used to rapidly halt bleeding in …