Gorilla Diet Protects Heart

close up of grains of paradise, a small brown seed

Biological Strategy

Grains of paradise

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Regulate Cellular Processes

Cells are the basic building blocks of all living systems, so cellular processes dictate how physiological processes occur within those systems. Cells (whether entire unicellular organisms or parts of multicellular living systems) grow, metabolize nutrients (that is, chemically transform them), produce proteins and enzymes, replicate, and move. Cells as part of multicellular systems rarely act alone, instead having ways to signal to start and complete simple to quite complex interactions. How skin heals is a good example of the role of cellular processes. Blood cells called platelets release clotting factors to stop the bleeding; white blood cells rid the area of foreign materials and release molecules to coordinate healing; cells called fibroblasts start rebuilding using proteins called collagen; new blood vessels form; and skin cells called keratinocytes create the new surface.

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Flowering Plants

Clade Angiosperms (“receptacle seed”): Dandelions, oaks, grasses, cacti, apples

With 416 families containing some 300,000 known species, angiosperms are the most diverse group of plants, and they can be found around the globe in a wide variety of habitats. They are characterized by seeds that grow enclosed in ovaries, which are enclosed in flowers. The floral organs then develop into fruits of myriad kinds and dimensions, from simple seed casings on maples to elaborate fleshy growths like papayas. The oldest flower known from fossils, Montsechia vidalii, appeared during the Jurassic Period 130 million years ago. They are the primary food source for herbivorous animals, which in turn makes them the indirect food source for carnivores as well.

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Gingerols in Grains of Paradise plant protect gorillas from heart disease by reducing inflammation and inhibiting production of C-reactive protein.

Image: Inna Moody / Wikipedia /

Image: Lemmikkipuu / Wikipedia /

Aframomum melegueta seeds.

“The ultimate answer to captive gorillas’ heart problems may be quietly growing in West Africa’s vine-choked swamps: a member of the ginger family, Aframomum melegueta, better known as ‘grains of paradise.’ This plant, which wild western lowland gorillas preferentially eat, contains a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. As scientists learn more about the inflammatory process that underlies heart disease, the lack of Aframomum and other African plants in captive gorillas’ diets has emerged as a chief suspect in their poor health.” (Dybas and Raskin 2007:394)

Last Updated August 18, 2016

References

Journal article

Out of Africa: A Tale of Gorillas, Heart Disease... and a Swamp Plant

BioScience | 07/05/2007 | CHERYL LYN DYBAS, ILYA RASKIN

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