Chimpanzee-Guided Discovery of a Non-Native Bioactive Plant.

Area of Science:

• Ethnobotany
• Primatology
• Pharmacognosy

Background:

• Primate consumption of plants for medicinal purposes is known.
• Indicators for self-medicative behavior include low consumption frequency and complex processing.
• Wild chimpanzees in Sebitoli, Uganda, have been monitored since 2008.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a plant selectively consumed by chimpanzees.
• To investigate the bioactive properties of this plant.
• To explore potential self-medicative behavior in chimpanzees.

Main Methods:

• Field observations of chimpanzee behavior over 890 days.
• Botanical identification of the consumed plant.
• Chemical analysis of plant parts (leaves and pith) for bioactive compounds.

Main Results:

• The plant was identified as Acnistus arborescens, a non-native species previously unreported in Africa.
• 25 consumption events involving 18 chimpanzees were recorded, with an average ingestion of 10g of pith.
• Chemical analysis detected withanolides and cinnamides, including pith-specific compounds.

Conclusions:

• Chimpanzees may have discovered a non-native plant with anxiolytic properties.
• This finding suggests potential self-medicative behavior in chimpanzees.
• Further research is needed on the plant's distribution, invasiveness, and biological effects in Africa.