Zoopharmacognosy: Medicine learnt from animals.
Over the ages, humans have changed from being hunter-gatherers who lived in caves to being high-rise inhabitants. We have also evolved in other areas, like food production and civilization. Over the ages, we have also witnessed tremendous advancements in the medical field. The most fascinating observation, however, is the medical knowledge we have gained from studying animals. But you might be wondering what zoopharmacognosy is?
To begin with, I would like to discuss a few behaviors that we—yes, even me—observe frequently. Have you ever wondered why cats and dogs eat grass? Or perhaps you have watched gorillas consuming worms and beetles on infographic channels? if yes, that’s something called as Zoopharmacognosy, the behavior of non human animals self medicate themselves.
Zoopharmacognosy can be mainly categorised into 3 ways:
- Ingestion
- Topical application
- Geophagy
Ingestion
Ayurvedic medicines and other products are also used in our daily lives to treat common illnesses like the flu and colds, but taking tablets and syrups is still the main method of illness treatment.
However, that is not the case in the wild, where the benefits of eating plants and their fruits to improve gut health come into play. This kind of behavior has advanced medical research.
A well-known illustration of this is when Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)consume Aspilia leaves, which are rich in thiarubrine, a strong antibiotic that aids in the elimination of nematodal infestations.
It is also known that chimpanzees consume other therapeutic plants, like unripe figs with deworming qualities and cordia flower stocks and this behavior is also observed amongst other new world and old world primates such as Gorillas, Baboons and Mandrills.
Topical Application
As was previously mentioned, another technique we have adopted from animals is topical application. Similar to how humans use moisturizers and insect repellents on a daily basis, animals, particularly primates like Capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus), also employ this technique to rid themselves of ticks and parasites.
Look at this one—does not it have a cute appearance? Our small ape cousins apply a chemical called benzoquinone to some species of millipedes, which helps relieve capuchin monkey fur that has ectoparasites. In addition, Capuchins use citrus fruits from the Rutaceae family for comparable functions. Is not it intriguing?
Geophagy
The eating of soil, crushed rock, termite mound earth, clay, and dirt is known as geophagy, and it is incredibly common in mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates. Many modern indigenous peoples still practice this habit, such as the Australian Aboriginals and the traditional peoples of China and East Africa.
In tropical regions, geophagy is more prevalent among animals that feed primarily on plants. In the past, the rationale behind geophagy was that animals consumed earth to obtain minerals like calcium carbonate, salt (sodium chloride), copper, iron, or zinc.
We can talk about the common example of this behavior that is exhibited by parakeets and parrots, especially those that are found in South America and Africa. These birds have been observed eating kaolin clay, which has antibacterial properties that help to maintain gut health.
This concludes part 1 of our discussion on how the practice of zoopharmacognosy has influenced our understanding of medicine and how it affects our daily lives. Please spread the word about this work to your groups and other enthusiasts if you enjoy it.
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