A group of scientists proved this more than a year ago: chimpanzees self-medicate: They deliberately use crushed insects to heal their own and other people’s wounds. Now, another research team has proven this examples of a species ant (formica fusca) use aphids as medicine when they get sick.
The study, conducted by biologists and zoologists from Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Finland and published in the journal ‘Biology Letters’, reveals that ants, the most common in the world, consume aphids that accumulate hydrogen peroxide in their rooms. . , To cure fungal infections.
The question these researchers are trying to answer is whether ants do this. self-medication. To find out, they collected ants from a rural area in Finland and took them to the laboratory.
Researchers provoked half of the ants harmful fungal infections. They then offered both the infected and others two feeding options: a standard mixture of honey and agar and a standard mixture of honey and agar containing more or less amounts of honey and agar. crushed aphids mixed.
The research team found uninfected ants ate only the standard mixture (without aphids). But, Those infected with the fungi split their food choices fifty-fifty between the standard mixture and the aphid-supplemented mixture.
They also discovered this Once the fungal infection was resolved, the infected ants were returned to a diet of the standard mixture..
The conclusion of the researchers is this Not only do ants self-medicate, they also do so in quantities that prove most beneficial for self-healing..
Complex nutritional system
For example, if ants had eaten a mixture containing only aphids, they would probably have died of a disease. hydrogen peroxide poisoning.
On the other hand, if they had eaten too little, they would not be able to fight the infection. The study authors also note that consuming some of the standard aphid-free mixture allows sick ants to consume the nutrients they need to aid their health. immune system.
The research team now plans to further investigate ants and their tendency to eat aphids when sick in the natural environment.
“Regulating animals’ food intake to combat pathogens is a behavior that is gaining increasing attention,” say the biologists and zoologists who wrote the study.
Studies on ants using isolated compounds or nutrients in artificial diets have revealed much of the behavioral dynamics, but natural drug sources have not yet been confirmed.
So they investigated whether there were ants. formica fusca A person exposed to a fungal pathogen artificial diet containing fortified foods different concentrations of aphids crushed to get medical benefit.
“We show this Colonies exposed to pathogens modified and adjusted their diets to include more aphid-fortified foods during the acute phase of infection“to reduce deaths caused by the disease and mitigate its effects,” they state.
“However, the benefit was achieved only through access to a diverse diet, suggesting that although the aphids contain nutrients or compounds beneficial against infections, they are part of a system.” complex nutritional system “where the costs and benefits of compounds and nutrients need to be controlled,” they add.
deliberate response
Diet adjustment response exposure to pathogens”very dynamic“The shift in preference between standard food and aphid-fortified food occurred between days 4 and 6, which coincided with the peak of pathogen-caused mortality, after which preference changed again. towards the standard mix,” they explain.
“This means The change in diet of exposed colonies is a conscious and rapid response to changes in nutrient demand during the acute stages of infection.“They conclude.
Looking to the near future, researchers note the need to further investigate whether pathogens affect human health. interactions between aphids and antsIncluding the compounds and nutrients that ants can obtain from aphids and their effects against infections.
This may provide new insights into its evolution and maintenance. reciprocity the relationship between ants and aphids and whether they provide a new benefit to ants against pathogens.
“To discover natural medicine sources and how animals use diet to balance immune responses or directly fight pathogens will help us better understand how healthy, diverse ecosystems can benefit animals against the ever-present threat of disease, which remains largely a challenge. study,” they conclude.
HE hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water and appears colorless in dilute solution. It is a weak acid, but it is strong. oxidizing properties and this one powerful whitening agent. Used as disinfectant, antiseptic, oxidant and as a propellant in rocketry. Therefore it is an extraordinary fungicide.
Reference report:; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0415
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