Medicinal Plants in Gorilla Diets Could Help Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Insights into how gorillas in Gabon consume antibacterial plants that could offer clues for human medicine.
Researchers have uncovered a remarkable link between the plants wild gorillas in Gabon consume and traditional medicine used by local healers. Some of these plants have demonstrated the ability to combat antibiotic-resistant strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium known to cause serious infections in humans. This discovery, published in PLOS One1, provides a fascinating glimpse into how the diet of gorillas might inform the development of new antimicrobial drugs for humans.
Gorillas and Traditional Medicine: A Shared Source
In Gabon’s Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, researchers observed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and documented the plants they consumed. Interestingly, they found that these gorillas ate several plant species that are also utilized by traditional healers in the local village of Doussala. The overlap between the diets of the gorillas and the remedies used in the region’s traditional medicine sparked a hypothesis: Could these plants be helping gorillas fend off diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria?
The research team focused on four specific tree species consumed by the gorillas, which are also widely used in traditional medicine: the fromager tree (Ceiba pentandra), giant yellow mulberry (Myrianthus arboreus), African teak (Milicia excelsa), and fig tree (Ficus). The bark of these trees, although not a primary component of the gorillas’ diet, is eaten as a fallback when fruit is scarce. Lead researcher Leresche Even Doneilly Oyaba Yinda, a bacteriologist at the Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville said,
“One of the inclusion criteria for the various plants studied in our research was the fact that the selected plant consumed by gorillas was also already used in traditional medicine.”
Laboratory Findings: Bark with Antibacterial Properties
The researchers took bark samples from these trees and created extracts, which they then tested against drug-resistant E. coli strains. These strains had been previously isolated from the gorillas. The results were encouraging: all four types of bark showed antibacterial properties, with the fromager tree performing particularly well, inhibiting the growth of all ten strains of E. coli tested.
The bark extracts were rich in phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins, compounds known for their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. While the specific chemicals responsible for the antibacterial effects remain unidentified, the findings suggest that these plants may hold promise for treating multidrug-resistant infections in humans.
Yinda emphasized the potential of these plants:
“These four plants could be promising to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in humans. Their antibacterial and antioxidant properties may also explain their use in traditional medicine.”
How Medicinal Plants Affect Gorillas’ Health
Although gorillas eat these plants, the direct impact on their health remains uncertain. Researchers have not yet conducted studies on how these plants might affect gorillas’ health or whether the doses they consume have therapeutic effects. However, similar behavior has been observed in other great apes. For example, chimpanzees have been documented eating leaves2 that help clear parasites from their intestines, and orangutans use leaves to treat wounds.3
Jessica Lodwick, a primatologist at Oregon State University who was not involved in the study, noted the parallels between humans and primates:
“Since we’re closely related to great apes genetically, it’s possible, but not certain, that we’d respond similarly to these plants.”
However, it’s important to be cautious when assuming these plants will work similarly in humans. Lodwick warned,
“There’s a lot of promise there, but there’s a lot of pitfalls too.”
Further research, including toxicology studies, is necessary to confirm that these plants are safe for human use.
Preserving Nature’s Pharmacy
The study’s findings not only shed light on potential new medicines but also highlight the need to protect the natural environments where these valuable plants grow. Logging and habitat destruction could lead to the loss of species that provide critical medicinal compounds for both humans and animals. Lodwick explained,
“Certain tree species might be taken for logging, and if we don’t know which trees provide amazing medicinal applications … then we’re just going to destroy our pharmacy — nature’s pharmacy. It’s going to affect us, and it’s going to affect the animals that are using it.”
Conclusion
The discovery that wild gorillas in Gabon consume plants with antibacterial properties that can inhibit drug-resistant E. coli opens exciting possibilities for both human and veterinary medicine. While much more research is needed to develop these plants into viable treatments, the connection between gorillas’ diets and traditional medicine offers a promising avenue for future drug development. Protecting these plants and the habitats in which they thrive is crucial, as they may hold the key to combating some of humanity’s most stubborn infections.
Yinda, L. E. D. O., Onanga, R., Obiang, C. S., Begouabe, H., Akomo-Okoue, E. F., Obame-Nkoghe, J., Mitola, R., Ondo, J.-P., Atome, G.-R. N., Engonga, L.-C. O., Ibrahim, Setchell, J. M., & Godreuil, S. (2024). Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of plants consumed by western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Gabon. PloS One, 19(9), e0306957. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306957
Huffman, M. A. (2017). Primate self-medication, passive prevention and active treatment - A brief review. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.4038/
Laumer, I. B., Rahman, A., Rahmaeti, T., Azhari, U., Hermansyah, Atmoko, S. S. U., & Schuppli, C. (2024). Active self-treatment of a facial wound with a biologically active plant by a male Sumatran orangutan. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-58988-7