bustard heaviest living bird that can flyAlthough it has a wingspan of up to 260 centimeters, its weight (almost 16 kilograms) puts it at the limit of this capacity. It is the largest bird in the Iberian Peninsula. However, one of the most important features of these birds is their They are actively researching two plants that have compounds that can kill pathogensAs it is known in traditional medicine.
Therefore, it is stated that these birds may be a rare example of a bird that uses plants against diseases, that is, can heal itself. Boundaries in Ecology and Evolution.
“We show thisBustards prefer to eat plants containing chemical compounds with in vitro antiparasitic effects“says Luis M. Bautista-Sopelana, a scientist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid and first author of the study.
Co-author Azucena González-Coloma, a researcher at the Madrid Institute of Agricultural Sciences, adds: “Great bustards They are looking for two types of weeds that people also use in traditional medicine. “We showed that both contain antiprotozoans and nematicides (i.e., worm-killing compounds), while the latter contains antifungal agents.”
Self-medication in animals is suspected to occur with varying degrees of confidence in a wide variety of animals, including primates, bears, deer, elk, macaws, bees, and fruit flies. But Bautista-Sopelana cautioned that it is difficult to prove this without a doubt in wild animals: “We cannot make comparisons between control and experimental treatments. And double-blind trials or dose-effect studies, which are mandatory steps in human or veterinary medicine, are obviously impossible.” in wild animals.”
Classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, bustards breed in grasslands stretching from Western Europe and Northwest Africa to Central and East Asia. Approximately 70% of the world’s population lives on the Iberian Peninsula. Males can weigh up to 16 kilos.
Females generally remain loyal to their natal territory throughout their lives (10 to 15 years), while males return to the same territory each year after dispersal. When they stay in the same area for a long time (and more importantly, when they excrete their feces), they run the risk of re-infection. Males require extraordinary stamina during the mating season, which is expected to result in lowered immune defenses.
Plants containing active compounds against diseases
“Theoretically, both sexes of bustards may benefit from seeking herbs during mating season, when sexually transmitted diseases are common, while males who use herbs containing disease-active compounds may appear healthier, stronger, and more attractive.” for females,” González-Coloma said.
Some members of the research team have been studying bustards since the early 1980s, primarily in the autonomous communities of Madrid and Castilla y León. They collected a total of 623 scat from male and female bustards, 178 of which were collected during the mating season in April. Using a microscope, they counted the abundance of recognizable remains (stem tissue, leaves and flowers) of 90 plant species known to be on the bustard’s menu.
The results showed that two species were consumed by great bustards more frequently than would be expected from their abundance: corn poppy, Poppy and purple viper insecticide, Echium plantagineum.
“Bustards choose purple viper poppies and bustards mainly during the mating season, that is, in April, when their energy expenditure is highest. And males, who devote most of their time and energy to sexual display during these months, prefer them more than females,” he concluded. Bautista-Sopelana.
Analyzes of both plants show that: Extracts from both plants are highly effective in inhibiting or killing protozoa and nematodes in vitro; purple viper insecticide is also moderately active against fungi.
The authors conclude that great bustards are prime candidates for birds seeking out specific plants for self-medication. But they warn that more research is needed.
“Conclusive evidence of self-medication requires experimental protocols developed in biomedicine, veterinary medicine, and pharmacology,” Bautista-Sopelana said.
Reference work: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.1027201/full
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Contact address of the environmental department:krisclimatica@prensaiberica.es
Source: Informacion
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