Scientists have come up with a study that self-medicating gorillas may hold the key to future drug discovery. Researchers in Gabon studied the tropical plants eaten by wild gorillas and found that they have medicinal effects.
The researchers identified four plants that are commonly eaten by western lowland gorillas in Gabon’s Moukalaba-Doudou National Park. These plants are also used by local human healers to treat various ailments.
The four plants selected for the study were the fromager tree, giant yellow mulberry, African teak, and fig trees. The bark of these trees contains chemicals with medicinal effects, including phenols and flavonoids.
Laboratory studies revealed that the plants are high in antioxidants and antimicrobials. One of the plants, the fromager tree, showed promise in fighting superbugs.
Great apes are known to self-medicate by selecting plants with healing properties. A recent study found that a wounded orangutan used a plant paste to heal an injury.
The researchers believe that the gorillas’ ability to self-medicate may be an evolutionary adaptation to their environment. Dr. Joanna Setchell, an anthropologist at the University of Durham, said that the study highlights the huge gaps in our knowledge of the Central African rainforests.
