Abstract
Potential medicinal plants for wild chimpanzees have been studied in order to discover their physiologically active compounds. Tests of the physiological activity of 3 plant species—Vernonia amygdalina, Aspilia mossambicensis, andFicus exasperata—indicate that they contain a variety of active compounds. From one species,V. amygdalina, an antitumor agent and 2 possible antitumor promoters are identified. Furthermore, steroid glucosides were isolated as the bitter substances. These structurally new compounds are expected to exhibit a number of significant physiological activities. The chemical investigation of possible medicinal plants used by chimpanzees should be helpful in recovering naturally occurring compounds of medicinal significance for human use.
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Koshimizu, K., Ohigashi, H., Huffman, M.A. et al. Physiological activities and the active constituents of potentially medicinal plants used by wild chimpanzees of the Mahale mountains, Tanzania. International Journal of Primatology 14, 345–356 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192637
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02192637