Plants Consumed by Eulemur fulvus in Comoros Islands (Mayotte) and Potential Effects on Intestinal Parasites

Abstract

The study of self-medication among animals-zoopharmacognosy-is founded on observations that suggest that wild animals use plants with specific biological properties that may be beneficial to them. To verify whether self-vermifugation occurs among Eulemur fulvus in the wild, we studied their feeding behavior in both the dry and humid forests of Mayotte (Comoros Islands). We used the focal individual sampling method over an annual cycle. We conducted a complementary study during the 2-mo mating season, via the scan sampling method (at 10-min intervals). Among the 29 plant species brown lemurs consumed, we tested 16 in vitro as antiparasitic agents on 3 experimental parasite models (Rhabditis pseudoelongata, Trichomonas vaginalis, Entamoeba invadens). We obtained crude extracts to be tested after 2 successive chemical extractions (ethyl acetate and methanol), and 7 of them, belonging to 4 different plant species, showed an antiparasitic property: lemurs consumed Annona squamosa and Mimusops comorensis in large amounts, but ingested Ixora cremixora and Syzygium jambos sporadically. The 4 plants were active on the flagellate but only one of them (Ixora cremixora) also demonstrated antinematode properties. Humans use 2 of the plants as intestinal antiparasitic agents in traditional medicine and include Nègre, Tarnaud, Roblot, Gantier, and Guillot numerous other plants in the diet. The relative lake of amoebas and flagellates in stools of Eulemur fulvus may be related to the consumption of plants with antiprotozoal properties. Nevertheless, in the absence of specific behavior that could be linked to a voluntary therapeutic action during our study, self-vermifugation in Eulemur fulvus remains elusive.

Four Footed Pharmacists: Indications of Self-Medicating Livestock in Karamoja, Uganda

“…Both of these findings are consistent with the existing zoopharmacognosy literature (Clayton and Wolfe 1993;Engel 2002;Huffman 2003;Krief, Hladik, and Haxaire 2005;Lozano 1998;Nègre et al 2006). Fur rubbing has also been observed in black lemurs and capuchins with millipedes, in several bird species with ants, other non-human primates with plant resins and leaves (Birkinshaw 1999).…”

Craniomandibular Variation in Phalangeriform Marsupials: Functional Comparisons with Primates

“…Leaves may form large proportion of the diet at some seasons. Sussman (1972Sussman ( , 1977, Overdorff (1993), Donati et al (1999), Rasmussen, (1999), and Nègre et al (2006) Primates: Lemuridae…”

Medicinal Properties in the Diet of Tibetan Macaques at Mt. Huangshan: A Case for Self-Medication

“…Interestingly, of the species used by these people to treat symptoms of malaria, 89% are also eaten as food (Etkin and Ross 1983). Many food items eaten by primates and other mammals have also been shown to contain a variety of secondary metabolites with medicinal properties (roughly 15-25% of any population's food plant species list), suggesting that animals may benefit from the periodic ingestion, in small amounts of these plants (sifaka Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi, Carrai et al 2003; gorillas Gorilla gorilla and G. beringei, Cousins and Huffman 2002;chimpanzees Pan troglodytes, Huffman 1997, 2003; Japanese macaques Macaca fuscata, Huffman and MacIntosh 2012;various ungulate species, Mukherjee et al 2011; lemurs Eulemur fulvus, Negre et al 2006; wooly spider monkeys Brachyteles arachnoides, Petroni et al 2016). The secondary compound rich content of some foods in the diet may play a significant role in the maintenance of health.…”