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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16621-w |
| _version_ | 1830453074661998592 |
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| 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 |
| collection | DOAJ |
| 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:00:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:00:53Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f9a6e46a31a4797826866904d35567d2022-12-21T19:09:28ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-11-01711710.1038/s41598-017-16621-wSelf-medication by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) using bioactive properties of Dracaena cantleyiH. C. Morrogh-Bernard0I. Foitová1Z. Yeen2P. Wilkin3R. de Martin4L. Rárová5K. Doležal6W. Nurcahyo7M. Olšanský8The Orang-utan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop)Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2The Centre for International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatlands (CIMTROP), University of Palangka RayaRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, RichmondDepartment of Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Medical University of ViennaDepartment of Chemical Biology and Genetics & Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of Czech RepublicDepartment of Chemical Biology and Genetics & Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of Czech RepublicDepartment of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada UniversityFoundation UMI-Saving of PongidaeAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16621-w |
| spellingShingle | 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 Scientific Reports |
| title | 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_short | 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 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16621-w |
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