Meeting Abstract

S6.6  Monday, Jan. 5  Primate Self-Medication HUFFMAN, MA; Kyoto University, Primate Research Institute, Inuyama huffman@pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Plant secondary metabolites (PSM) are traditionally viewed as the means by which plants inhibit or limit damage done to them by herbivores. This stimulated research into how animals are sometimes able to detoxify PSM in order to utilize the plants nutritional properties. Some herbivorous species also exploit PSM for their curative value, as humans traditionally do around the world. A growing body of research shows that primates ingest PSM for positive benefits, in particular for their therapeutic and passive preventative properties. A growing body of evidence for this comes from the emerging field of animal self-medication, particularly from the study of primates. Self-medication primarily take on three forms, ingestion of plants for their structural barriers to digestion (e.g. silicate) or bioactive / toxic properties and / or external application of PSMs. African great apes, and chimpanzees in particular, practice the first two forms in response to parasite infections. A substantial number of such plant species have been recorded and are also known to be traditionally utilized by some African cultures for the treatment of similar symptoms / diseases. New PSM have also been discovered which may have potential use for humans. Thirteen novel compounds and their biological activities have been discovered from the investigation of one species alone; Vernonia amygdalina. Other examples exist. Traditionally humans around the world have looked to animals as a source of medicinal wisdom. In this way too, PharmEcology has much to benefit from the study of animal self-medication.