A recent study conducted by the University of Oxford has shed light on the remarkable behavior of chimpanzees in the wild. The study revealed that these intelligent animals actively seek out and consume plants with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to treat their injuries or illnesses.
The research team spent an extensive four months observing two chimpanzee communities in Uganda's Budongo Forest. Their focus was on 51 individual chimps displaying symptoms of bacterial infections or inflammation. To gather data, the researchers diligently followed the sick chimps for 10 hours a day, observing their plant consumption and noting any deviations from their usual diet.
One particular observation that stood out was a chimpanzee with an injured hand consuming leaves of a fern with potential anti-inflammatory effects and another chimp with a parasitic infection consuming the bark of a cat-thorn tree with antimicrobial properties.
Lead researcher Dr. Elodie Freymann emphasized the importance of exploring the medicinal properties of the plants sought out by chimpanzees. "We can't test everything in these forests for their medicinal properties, so why not test the plants that we have this information about - plants the chimps are seeking out?" remarked Dr. Freymann.
Samples of the plants the chimps consumed were collected for testing. In total, the researchers gathered 17 samples from 13 different plant species, which were then sent to Dr. Fabien Schultz at the Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Dr. Schultz's analysis revealed that 88% of the samples inhibited bacterial growth, and 33% exhibited anti-inflammatory properties.
The potential implications of this study are significant. With the increasing urgency surrounding chronic inflammatory diseases and antibiotic-resistant bacteria as global challenges for human beings, the medicinal plants used by chimpanzees could hold valuable insights for the development of new medicines.
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