Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi

Abstract Animals self-medicate using a variety of plant and arthropod secondary metabolites by either ingesting them or anointing them to their fur or skin apparently to repel ectoparasites and treat skin diseases. In this respect, much attention has been focused on primates. Direct evidence for sel...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: H. C. Morrogh-Bernard, I. Foitová, Z. Yeen, P. Wilkin, R. de Martin, L. Rárová, K. Doležal, W. Nurcahyo, M. Olšanský
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2017
Materias:
R
Q
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
id oai:doaj.org-article:2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d
record_format dspace
spelling oai:doaj.org-article:2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d2021-12-02T15:05:33ZSelf-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi10.1038/s41598-017-16621-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d2017-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16621-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Animals self-medicate using a variety of plant and arthropod secondary metabolites by either ingesting them or anointing them to their fur or skin apparently to repel ectoparasites and treat skin diseases. In this respect, much attention has been focused on primates. Direct evidence for self-medication among the great apes has been limited to Africa. Here we document self-medication in the only Asian great ape, orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus), and for the first time, to our knowledge, the external application of an anti-inflammatory agent in animals. The use of leaf extracts from Dracaena cantleyi by orang-utan has been observed on several occasions; rubbing a foamy mixture of saliva and leaf onto specific parts of the body. Interestingly, the local indigenous human population also use a poultice of these leaves for the relief of body pains. We present pharmacological analyses of the leaf extracts from this species, showing that they inhibit TNFα-induced inflammatory cytokine production (E-selectin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and IL-6). This validates the topical anti-inflammatory properties of this plant and provides a possible function for its use by orang-utans. This is the first evidence for the deliberate external application of substances with demonstrated bioactive potential for self-medication in great apes.H. C. Morrogh-BernardI. FoitováZ. YeenP. WilkinR. de MartinL. RárováK. DoležalW. NurcahyoM. OlšanskýNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2017)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Medicine
R
Science
Q
spellingShingle Medicine
R
Science
Q
H. C. Morrogh-Bernard
I. Foitová
Z. Yeen
P. Wilkin
R. de Martin
L. Rárová
K. Doležal
W. Nurcahyo
M. Olšanský
Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
description Abstract Animals self-medicate using a variety of plant and arthropod secondary metabolites by either ingesting them or anointing them to their fur or skin apparently to repel ectoparasites and treat skin diseases. In this respect, much attention has been focused on primates. Direct evidence for self-medication among the great apes has been limited to Africa. Here we document self-medication in the only Asian great ape, orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus), and for the first time, to our knowledge, the external application of an anti-inflammatory agent in animals. The use of leaf extracts from Dracaena cantleyi by orang-utan has been observed on several occasions; rubbing a foamy mixture of saliva and leaf onto specific parts of the body. Interestingly, the local indigenous human population also use a poultice of these leaves for the relief of body pains. We present pharmacological analyses of the leaf extracts from this species, showing that they inhibit TNFα-induced inflammatory cytokine production (E-selectin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and IL-6). This validates the topical anti-inflammatory properties of this plant and provides a possible function for its use by orang-utans. This is the first evidence for the deliberate external application of substances with demonstrated bioactive potential for self-medication in great apes.
format article
author H. C. Morrogh-Bernard
I. Foitová
Z. Yeen
P. Wilkin
R. de Martin
L. Rárová
K. Doležal
W. Nurcahyo
M. Olšanský
author_facet H. C. Morrogh-Bernard
I. Foitová
Z. Yeen
P. Wilkin
R. de Martin
L. Rárová
K. Doležal
W. Nurcahyo
M. Olšanský
author_sort H. C. Morrogh-Bernard
title Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
title_short Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
title_full Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
title_fullStr Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
title_full_unstemmed Self-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyi
title_sort self-medication by orang-utans (pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of dracaena cantleyi
publisher Nature Portfolio
publishDate 2017
url https://doaj.org/article/2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d
work_keys_str_mv AT hcmorroghbernard selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT ifoitova selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT zyeen selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT pwilkin selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT rdemartin selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT lrarova selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT kdolezal selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT wnurcahyo selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
AT molsansky selfmedicationbyorangutanspongopygmaeususingbioactivepropertiesofdracaenacantleyi
_version_ 1718388756464009216