Plants medicinally used by chimpnazees in the wild, and their biologically active constituents

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Recently, physiological significance of the chimpanzee's non-nutritious plant diets has been inquired. Medicinal use by chimpanzees in now suggested in some of these plants. This study has been directed to select possible chimpanzee medicinal plants, and to search for their constituents of physiological and biological significance. Some of the social ecology of chimpanzee may, then, beanalyzed by the phytoichemicals concerned. Nishida has thus far selected 14 species of possible chimpanzee medicinal plants from the Mahale Mountain National Park, Tanzania. Several biological and physiological activities of these plants were tested. Antiparasitic acitivities were found in 8 species of plants including Erythrina abyssinica, Combretum molle, Trema orientalis and Aspilia mossambicensis, cyte toxicities were detected in 3 species (C.molle, Lannea schimperi and A.mossambicensis), enzyme inhibition activities against trypsin or aromatase were in 4 species. High occurrence of plants with antiparasitic acivity must be particularly emphasized. Interestingly, Thomadersia laurifolia, a possible medicinal plant used by gorilla in Congo, showed remarkable antischistosomal activity. These facts may further support our hypothesis of "Medicinal Plant-use by Primates in the Wild for Parasite Disease". From the biologically or physiologically active plants, 3 steroids were newly found in Vernonia amygdalina, and its antischistosomal activity was shown to be higher than those of the related glucosides. Cytotoxic flavonoid glycosides were isolated from L.schimperi. Insect antifeedants and antiinflammatory agents were also isolated, and their chemical structures are now being elucidated. Also chemical investigation of enzyme inhibitors was now in progress.