Literature Review on Non-Human Primates and Their Pharmacopoeia as a New Source of Medicines in Tropical Regions
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Abstract
Great apes (chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, orangutan, and gibbon) are very closely related to humans from anatomical, physiological, and genetic perspectives, which
justifies their use as preferred biological models in biomedical and pharmacobiological research. The study of animal self-medication (zoopharmacognosy) shows
that these primates deliberately select and ingest plants to combat infections or alleviate pain. Such behaviors influence human ethnopharmacology and contribute
to the discovery of bioactive molecules for traditional medicine in Africa. This review focuses on the anatomy, physiology, behavior, and systematics of non-human
primates, as well as on the implications of their self-medicative behaviors for human health. In the present study, a clear biological kinship between these nonhuman primates and humans is established through genetic and morphological data, as well as through the technical and social behaviors of these primates, which
testify to their cognitive capacities. This literature review therefore highlights the therapeutic potential of plants identified through in situ observation of these
animals and opens the way for the use of zoopharmacognosy as a strategy for selecting plants to treat human diseases such as sickle cell disease.
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