What important properties does Fibraurea tinctoria have, the medicinal plant chosen by the orangutan Rakus to cure himself?

Never before had humans been able to observe so carefully the healing and healing process carried out autonomously by an injured orangutan. It happened in Indonesia, where a specimen was observed while healing a wound with a tropical medicinal plant, demonstrating how some animal species try to soothe their ailments with remedies found in nature.

Scientists watched a Sumatran orangutan named Rakus tear and chew the leaves of a medicinal plant used by people across Southeast Asia to treat pain and inflammation. As described in one study published yesterday by Scientific Report, the adult male then used his fingers to apply the plant's juices to a wound on his right cheek. Next, he pressed the chewed plant to cover the open wound like a makeshift bandage.

Scientists had never seen an animal heal itself in this way. “This is the first time we have observed a wild animal applying a rather powerful medicinal plant directly to a wound,” said Isabelle Laumer, a biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany. The observations took place in Gunung Leuser National Park on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Rukus is thought to have been injured while fighting rival male orangutans.
The selected leaves of the specimen belong to a plant whose scientific name is Fibraurea tinctoriaknown in Indonesia as Akar Kuning and is rarely eaten by orangutans in the peat forest area, which is home to around 150 critically endangered Sumatran orangutans. Photographs showed that the animal's wound closed within a month without any problems.

The particular medical properties of Fibraurea tinctoria

Fibraurea tinctoria is known for its antibacterial properties, anti-inflammatory, antifungal And painkillers and is sometimes used for relieve the symptoms of malaria among the indigenous communities of Sumatra. In a separate study of 38 commonly used ethnomedicinal plants, this one was found to be the most potent.

Being studied as an anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic

Recently, several studies have focused on exploring natural antioxidants to improve diabetes mellitus. Among these there is also the Fibraurea tinctoria, used in traditional medicine in Borneo to treat diabetes.

This plant is part of the Menispermaceae family, widely known for the production of various alkaloids. Among these are the protoberberine alkaloids including la berberine, an isoquinoline with numerous pharmacological activities.

Berberine is receiving considerable international scientific interest for its antidiabetic and antioxidant activitieswhich rely on numerous biochemical pathways. A recent study appeared on PubMed explored the pharmacological effects of Fibraurea tinctoria and its active constituent against oxidative stress and diabetes.

Other research, have shown that berberine has several pharmacological activities in addition to its antioxidant activity, including lowering blood sugar, regulating blood lipids, and reducing inflammation. These findings suggest that berberine may have potential applications as a therapeutic drug for diabetic nephropathy and has significant research value, although the possible mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated.

And there's more: various other studies have also begun to highlight the Therapeutic potential of Berberine in various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.