Wild gorillas in Gabon eat several of the same plants traditional healers in the region use, and these plants show antibacterial properties in lab dishes, scientists found.
In a new study, compounds in the bark of different trees showed potency against antibiotic-resistant strains of Escherichia coli, which can cause hard-to-treat infections in humans, including pneumonia and bloodstream infections. The researchers behind the work think these plants from gorillas' diets could lead to promising drugs for people, but much more work is needed to develop such medicines.
