a 2010

Medicinal use of plants by orang-utans

MORROGH-BERNARD, Helen, R. MARTIN, Lucie HOFFMANOVÁ, Karel DOLEŽAL, Ivona FOITOVÁ et. al.

Basic information

Original name

Medicinal use of plants by orang-utans

Authors

MORROGH-BERNARD, Helen (826 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), R. MARTIN (40 Austria), Lucie HOFFMANOVÁ (203 Czech Republic), Karel DOLEŽAL (203 Czech Republic) and Ivona FOITOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

2010

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Konferenční abstrakt

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

Japan

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/10:00047680

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

Keywords in English

orang-utan; self-medication; anti-inflamatory; fur-rubbing
Změněno: 31/3/2011 12:30, Assoc. Prof. MVDr. Ivona Foitová, Ph.D.

Abstract

V originále

The medicinal use of plants by orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) has been observed in the peat-swamp forests of Central Kalimantan, Borneo. A fur-rubbing behaviour was witnessed on several occasions, in which leaves were chewed up, and the resulting soapy lather was rubbed onto the arms and legs, concentrated on the joints. Most instances of this behaviour have been from a single species of plant which has been tested for chemical properties. The use of leaf ‘plasters’ by orang-utans to stop bleeding, has also been observed. Self-medication by apes has previously only been documented in chimpanzees and gorillas, although these cases differ in that they involve the ingestion of medicinal plants. Thus this is the first time that external self-medication (fur-rubbing) in apes has been reported, and the first case of self-medication in orang-utans. The local indigenous people from the area use this species to treat their arms after a stroke, for muscular pain, and for sore bones and swellings.

Links

MSM0021622416, plan (intention)
Name: Diverzita biotických společenstev a populací: kauzální analýza variability v prostoru a čase
Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR, Diversity of Biotic Communities and Populations: Causal Analysis of variation in space and time