Folklore, Animal Self-Medication, and Phytotherapy-Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Some Things True

Area of Science:

• Ethnobotany
• Zoology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Western thought historically viewed medicine as exclusively human.
• Global folklore and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) suggest animals inspired medicinal plant discovery.
• Animal self-medication research validates this traditional knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present evidence supporting animal-inspired medicinal plant use.
• To explore the diversity and mechanisms of animal self-medicative behaviors.
• To encourage research into animal self-medication for novel phytotherapies.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of 14 case studies on purported animal-inspired plant medicines.
• Review of ethnomedicinal and pharmacological evidence.
• Analysis of self-medicative behaviors across diverse animal species.

Main Results:

• Over 20 animal species across continents are linked to medicinal plant use.
• Examples include llamas, chimpanzees, elephants, and reindeer.
• Identified a variety of potential preventative and therapeutic self-medicative behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Animal self-medication provides a crucial perspective on the origins of human traditional medicine.
• This research supports the potential for discovering new phytotherapies for human and livestock health.
• Animal self-medication research can revitalize existing therapies and inspire new ones.