Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests
Gums produced by trees after injuries are valuable food resources for several primate species. Yet, information on the chemical characteristics of gum is scant and inconsistent. We use gums consumed by lemurs (strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar) as an example to illustrate their possible nutritive...
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| author | Jörg U. Ganzhorn Yedidya R. Ratovonamana Melina Rother Peggy Giertz Curswan A. Andrews Sabine Baumann Yvonne E.-M. B. Bohr Peter M. Kappeler B. Karina Montero Andreas Pommerening-Röser Ute Radespiel S. Jacques Rakotondranary Oliver Schülke Kim J. E. Steffens Sandra Thorén Gabriele Timmermann Irene Tomaschewski |
| author_facet | Jörg U. Ganzhorn Yedidya R. Ratovonamana Melina Rother Peggy Giertz Curswan A. Andrews Sabine Baumann Yvonne E.-M. B. Bohr Peter M. Kappeler B. Karina Montero Andreas Pommerening-Röser Ute Radespiel S. Jacques Rakotondranary Oliver Schülke Kim J. E. Steffens Sandra Thorén Gabriele Timmermann Irene Tomaschewski |
| author_sort | Jörg U. Ganzhorn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gums produced by trees after injuries are valuable food resources for several primate species. Yet, information on the chemical characteristics of gum is scant and inconsistent. We use gums consumed by lemurs (strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar) as an example to illustrate their possible nutritive and pharmaceutical properties. Exudates from 45 tree species of the dry forests of Madagascar contained 0.38–23.29% protein, 0.46–65.62% sugar, and 0.39–11.86 kJ/g of energy in dry matter. Exemplified by the lemur species <i>Microcebus griseorufus</i>, gum consumption increased with increasing sugar and energy content but was unrelated to protein. But lemurs also fed on gum with very low protein and energy content, suggesting that these exudates were consumed for other reasons. Disk diffusion tests with exudates from five out of 22 tree species consumed by lemurs showed antibacterial activity against <i>Micrococcus</i> spp. and/or <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Exudates with antibacterial activity had lower protein, sugar, and energy contents than samples without antibacterial properties. GC-MS analyses revealed several components with antimicrobial effects that would have the potential for self-medication. This might explain the consumption of gum with very low nutritive value. Possible medicinal effects of tree exudates deserve further attention in view of their pharmaceutical applicability for animals and humans alike. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:27:21Z |
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| issn | 2297-8739 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:27:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-50799c7a25a344bdb3d69b9be8b081762023-11-24T15:06:12ZengMDPI AGSeparations2297-87392023-11-01101157510.3390/separations10110575Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry ForestsJörg U. Ganzhorn0Yedidya R. Ratovonamana1Melina Rother2Peggy Giertz3Curswan A. Andrews4Sabine Baumann5Yvonne E.-M. B. Bohr6Peter M. Kappeler7B. Karina Montero8Andreas Pommerening-Röser9Ute Radespiel10S. Jacques Rakotondranary11Oliver Schülke12Kim J. E. Steffens13Sandra Thorén14Gabriele Timmermann15Irene Tomaschewski16Institute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyAfrican Primate Initiative for Ecology & Speciation, Department of Zoology & Entomology, University of Fort Hare, Alice 5700, South AfricaInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyBehavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center–Leibnitz Institute of Primatology, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyDepartment for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, GermanyInstitute of Plant Science and Microbiology, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universität Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Systems Biology of Animals, Animal Ecology and Conservation, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, GermanyGums produced by trees after injuries are valuable food resources for several primate species. Yet, information on the chemical characteristics of gum is scant and inconsistent. We use gums consumed by lemurs (strepsirrhine primates of Madagascar) as an example to illustrate their possible nutritive and pharmaceutical properties. Exudates from 45 tree species of the dry forests of Madagascar contained 0.38–23.29% protein, 0.46–65.62% sugar, and 0.39–11.86 kJ/g of energy in dry matter. Exemplified by the lemur species <i>Microcebus griseorufus</i>, gum consumption increased with increasing sugar and energy content but was unrelated to protein. But lemurs also fed on gum with very low protein and energy content, suggesting that these exudates were consumed for other reasons. Disk diffusion tests with exudates from five out of 22 tree species consumed by lemurs showed antibacterial activity against <i>Micrococcus</i> spp. and/or <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>. Exudates with antibacterial activity had lower protein, sugar, and energy contents than samples without antibacterial properties. GC-MS analyses revealed several components with antimicrobial effects that would have the potential for self-medication. This might explain the consumption of gum with very low nutritive value. Possible medicinal effects of tree exudates deserve further attention in view of their pharmaceutical applicability for animals and humans alike.https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/10/11/575plantsgumresinantibacterial effectsstrepsirrhine primatesself-medication |
| spellingShingle | Jörg U. Ganzhorn Yedidya R. Ratovonamana Melina Rother Peggy Giertz Curswan A. Andrews Sabine Baumann Yvonne E.-M. B. Bohr Peter M. Kappeler B. Karina Montero Andreas Pommerening-Röser Ute Radespiel S. Jacques Rakotondranary Oliver Schülke Kim J. E. Steffens Sandra Thorén Gabriele Timmermann Irene Tomaschewski Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests Separations plants gum resin antibacterial effects strepsirrhine primates self-medication |
| title | Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests |
| title_full | Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests |
| title_short | Nutritional and Possible Pharmaceutical Aspects of Tree Exudates Eaten by Lemurs of Madagascar’s Dry Forests |
| title_sort | nutritional and possible pharmaceutical aspects of tree exudates eaten by lemurs of madagascar s dry forests |
| topic | plants gum resin antibacterial effects strepsirrhine primates self-medication |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/10/11/575 |
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