A new study has found that chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments. The researchers combined behavioural observations of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with pharmacological testing of the potentially medicinal plants they eat. They monitored the behavior and health of 51 chimpanzees in the Budongo Central Forest Reserve in Uganda and collected plant extracts from 13 species of trees and herbs in the reserve that they suspected the chimpanzees might be using to self-medicate, and tested them for their anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. They found that 88% of the plant extracts inhibited bacterial growth, while 33% had anti-inflammatory properties. Bark and resin from the East African mahogany tree (Khaya anthotheca) and leaves from a fern (Christella parasitica) exhibited potent anti-inflammatory effects. The researchers observed a male Chimpanzee with an injured hand seek out and eat leaves of the fern, which may have helped to reduce pain and swelling. They also recorded an individual with a parasitic infection consuming bark of the cat-thorn tree (Scutia myrtina). The results suggest that chimpanzees seek out specific plants for their medicinal effects.
