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Self-medicating Gorillas in Gabon Uncover Potential Drug Discoveries
Self-medicating gorillas in Gabon provide insights into future drug discoveries. Four tropical plants consumed by gorillas show medicinal properties. Laboratory tests reveal antibacterial effects against drug-resistant strains.
In a recent study conducted in Gabon, researchers delved into the world of wild gorillas and the tropical plants they consume, which are also used by local human healers. Through their investigation, they identified four plants with remarkable medicinal properties.
The researchers found that these plants were rich in antioxidants and antimicrobials, with one plant showing significant potential in combating superbugs. This discovery sheds light on the self-medicating behaviour of great apes, who have been observed selecting plants with healing properties to treat various ailments.
Botanists meticulously documented the plant consumption of western lowland gorillas in Gabon's Moukalaba-Doudou National Park. By consulting with local healers, they pinpointed four trees believed to have beneficial effects: the fromager tree (Ceiba pentandra), giant yellow mulberry (Myrianthus arboreus), African teak (Milicia excelsa), and fig trees (Ficus).
The bark of these trees, traditionally used in local medicine for a range of conditions from stomach issues to infertility, was found to contain medicinal compounds such as phenols and flavonoids. Laboratory tests demonstrated that all four plants exhibited antibacterial properties against multidrug-resistant strains of E. coli.
Of particular interest was the fromager tree, which displayed significant antibacterial activity against all tested strains. Dr. Joanna Setchell, an anthropologist at the University of Durham, UK, involved in the study alongside Gabonese scientists, highlighted the evolutionary significance of gorillas consuming beneficial plants.
The study underscores the vast gaps in our understanding of the Central African rainforests and the potential for new drug discoveries within the region. Gabon's unexplored forests, home to diverse wildlife and plant species, present a unique opportunity for further exploration and conservation efforts.
Despite the critical endangerment of western lowland gorillas due to poaching and disease, this research offers valuable insights into their natural behaviours and the potential benefits hidden within the rainforest's biodiversity. The findings of this study have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Self-medicating gorillas in Gabon provide insights into future drug discoveries
Four tropical plants consumed by gorillas show medicinal properties
Laboratory tests reveal antibacterial effects against drug-resistant strains
Source: BBC