Finding new drugs is n’t an easy job , but unexampled research in which wild gorillas were found to be consume the same flora used in local traditional practice of medicine suggest the animal world may just concur the answers .

The squad of scientists made this connexion after expend time observing western lowland gorillas ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla)living in Gabon ’s Moukalaba - Doudou National Park , making notation of which plants they were eating .

They then compare this list to the plant used in traditional medicine in the local village – which they decide by interviewing those living there , include traditional healers and herbalists – and identified four plants that appeared on both .

The four species , all of which are native to Gabon , include the fromager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Ceiba pentandra ) , giant icteric mulberry ( Myrianthus arboreus ) , African teakwood ( Milicia excelsa ) , and Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya tree subspecies ( Ficus ssp . ) .

It ’s unknown whether the Gorilla gorilla were indeed consume the plants for medicinal reasons , but that ’s not to say it is n’t potential . Great aper are known to ego - medicate , such as theorangutanthat was observed piss a paste out of a medicinal plant life to do by a facial wound . This is lie with as zoopharmacognosy ( you’re able to read more about brute ' usance of medicine inIssue 24 of our e - powder magazine CURIOUS ) .

To decide if the plant could potentially have a therapeutic design , the researchers took samples of the bark from each species and looked to see if they had any sort of antioxidant or antibacterial activity .

This analysis revealed that all four plant incorporate compound that could have a medicinal effect , like phenols , alkaloid , and flavonoids . On top of this , every individual one of the plant life showed antibacterial bodily process against at least one multi - drug insubordinate pains ofE.coli , although the extracts from the bark of the fromager tree diagram in finicky render what the researcher called “ remarkable bodily function ” against all of theE.colistrains they tested .

In a humankind whereantimicrobial resistanceis judge to have contributed to4.95 million deathsin 2019 , these plants could come in pretty useful .

“ These result show that the [ bark crude extract ] of these works could be used as an effective treatment for disease because of barren radicals and disease because of antimicrobial - resistant bacterial strains , ” write the study author .

The squad also supports the estimate that calculate to some of our closest relations as a source of inspiration for new intervention is a worthwhile avenue .

“ The habit of smashing ape pharmacopoeia or zoopharmacognosy is a very hopeful strategy for management of human disease because of the phylogenetic proximity of humans and great ape , ” they write .

“ alternate medicines and therapy provide definite hope for the resolution of many present and future public health problems , ” the researchers conclude in astatement .

The field of study is published inPLOS ONE .