Possible Medicinal Plants Used by Wild Chimpanzees, and Their Physiologically Active Compounds

As a new approach to discovering physiologically active natural compounds, possible medicinal plants used by wild chimpanzees have been studied. Physiological and biological activity tests of three such plants, Vernonia amygdalina, Aspilia mossambicensis, and Ficus exasperata, indicated that they contain a variety of active compounds. Particularly, the activities of V. amygdalina were remarkable, and hence further chemical studies were conducted. In the search for compounds of biological and physiological significance, in particular the bitter principles were investigated. Four known sesquiterpene lactones, vernodalin (1), vernolide (2), hydroxyvernolide (3) and vernodalol (4) were identified, and their anti-tumor and anti-bacterial activities were found. Furthermore, three bitter steroid glucosides and a related non-bitter glucoside, vernonioside A1 (5), A2 (6), A3 (7) and B1 (8) were isolated as new compounds. The significance of the use of V. amygdalina by chimpanzees for the control of parasite related disease and avenues for future research on this topic are discussed

Biology · Botany · Sesquiterpene · Traditional medicine · Vernonia amygdalina · Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques · Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection · Medicine · Primate Behavior and Ecology

• The useful plants of west tropical Africa.

  J M Dalziel•The useful plants of west…•1937

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• The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa

  G E Wickens, H M Burkill et al.•Kew Bulletin•1986

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