Posted on 06/21/2024 12:59:56 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Scientists have found that wild chimpanzees use plants with healing properties to treat themselves. They conducted their research in Uganda’s forests, carefully observing injured or sick animals to determine if they were using plants as medicine.
When they noticed an injured chimp eating a specific plant, they collected samples for analysis. They discovered that many of these plants have properties that fight bacteria.
The researchers, who shared their discoveries in the journal PLOS One, believe that studying chimpanzees could lead to the development of additional medications.
Dr. Elodie Freymann, the lead researcher from the University of Oxford, highlighted the challenge of testing all forest plants for their medicinal benefits. She suggested focusing on plants that chimpanzees actively seek out for their potential therapeutic properties.
In addition to observing signs of pain, such as limping or other unusual postures, Freymann and her team gathered samples of chimpanzee droppings and urine to detect signs of illness and infection. They closely monitored instances during which injured or sick chimpanzees consumed unusual foods, such as tree bark or fruit skin.
“We were looking for these behavioral clues that the plants might be medicinal,” Freymann explained. She described one male chimp with a badly wounded hand as a notable example.
Freymann recalled that the injured male chimp wasn’t using his hand to walk and was limping. While the rest of his group sat around eating, the injured chimp limped away to look for ferns. “He was the only chimp to seek out and eat these ferns,” she noted.
Christella parasitica plant: Chimpanzees self-medicate with fern containing anti-inflammatory properties The researchers gathered and examined a fern called Christella parasitica. They discovered it possesses strong anti-inflammatory properties. They collected a total of 17 samples from 13 different plant species and sent them for testing to Dr. Fabien Schultz at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
The results showed that nearly 90 percent of the extracts inhibited bacterial growth, and a third of them displayed natural anti-inflammatory properties, which can alleviate pain and aid in healing.
Freymann happily reported that all the injured and ill chimpanzees studied in this research fully recovered. “The one who ate ferns was using his hand again within the next few days,” she explained.
“Of course, we can’t 100% prove that any of these cases were a direct result of eating these resources,” she told BBC News. “But it highlights the medicinal knowledge that can be gained from observing other species in the wild and underscores the urgent need to preserve these ‘forest pharmacies’ for future generations.”
there are some species in the inner city ghettos that do the same thing, Is this a sign of intelligence ?
I’ve never seen inner city gangs at the health food store.
Makes you stop to ponder....
A Virginia blend heavy with Cavendish. Smart chimp.
I’d trust the chimp’s instincts over our science any day.
So many animals are so much smarter than is assumed.
What about gibbons and gorillas 🦍?
Indeed.
Natural alternatives. And the don’t need the Ozempic toxin.
There’s instinctive intelligence. I read of a person floating on the ocean for weeks. Fish would flop up on the boat or raft. He developed an incredible taste for fish livers and eyeballs. Turns out they supplied the nutrients to keep him alive.
“Exactly!”
Heads up
My dogs eat grass to purge themselves. They also sometimes eat alkaloid-heavy plants, possibly for self-medication or purging. I think most of the animal kingdom does this.
I’ve seen our cat eat certain grass leaves that grow here on the reservation. My mom says they serve medicinal purposes for the cat.
Agreed. See my post 19.
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