[monkeywire] African Black Plum Link To Baboon Contraception

Amber Hewins ahewins at mac.com
Sat Jul 21 16:25:48 EDT 2007


http://www.geneticarchaeology.com/Research/ 
African_Black_Plum_Link_To_Baboon_Contraception.asp

African Black Plum Link To Baboon Contraception (7/21/2007)
-Great Britain
	
Having spent a year in the rainforests of Nigeria, Post-Doctoral  
Research Fellow James Higham has announced unique findings on the  
reproductive ecology of female olive baboons and the contraceptive  
effects of the African black plum.

The former Roehampton University PhD student investigated the  
reproductive ecology of females at Gashaka-Gumti National Park for  
his PhD, and used Roehampton's state-of-the-art hormone laboratory to  
measure female reproductive function non-invasively from faeces.

During this study, an unexpected seasonal pattern of progestogen  
excretion emerged in all females, regardless of whether they were  
lactating, pregnant, or undergoing reproductive cycling at the time.  
A search of detailed feeding data on the animals provided by a  
previous Roehampton PhD, showed that one plant was the most likely  
cause of the observed progestogen increases- the African black plum,  
Vitex doniana.

"Laboratory tests I then conducted at Roehampton showed that this  
plant contained phyto-progestogens not present in other food items  
eaten by the animals," said James.

"This plant also happens to be closely related to another species  
that is widely used in complementary medicine, and sold in health  
stores worldwide, for treating PMS, menopause, and other hormone- 
related women's issues. This plant, Vitex agnus castus, is commonly  
known as Chasteberry, or Monk's Pepper. The relationship of this  
plant to women's reproductive hormones has been known for thousands  
of years, and is mentioned in Homer's The Iliad."

The effects of the increased progesterone levels on those baboon  
females that were undergoing reproductive cycling were dramatic.  
Because of their high levels of progesterone, females stopped  
cycling. In addition, progesterone is known to prevent expression of  
the bright red swellings that the females of baboons and other  
primate species famously exhibit at certain times of the month.

"These swellings are very important in mediating the social aspects  
of reproduction in this species, and without these swellings males  
show little sexual interest in females. The seasonal consumption of  
this plant therefore appeared to act on females as both a  
physiological contraceptive (simulating pregnancy), and a social  
contraceptive (preventing sexual swelling, and therefore reducing  
interest from males)."

Other issues covered by James's PhD research included an  
investigation into the relationship between ovulation and sexual  
swellings. The ‘honesty' of sexual swellings in reliably indicating  
ovulation to males is a key question in evolutionary signalling  
theory, and this particular element of James's research won a Primate  
Society of Great Britain prize at a recent conference. James's is now  
continuing his research into primate ecology with a Post-Doctoral  
Research Fellowship in the Centre for Research in Evolutionary  
Anthropology.

Research students working on non-human primates in the Centre for  
Research in Evolutionary Anthropology undertake a fascinating range  
of projects often involving a combination of fieldwork, observing  
animals in the wild, or in captivity, combined with analyses back in  
Roehampton laboratories.

Current PhD students are working in Brazil, Puerto Rico and Nigeria  
as well as on European zoological collections. Species of interest  
range from mouse lemurs and baboons, to the golden-backed uacari, a  
previously unstudied Amazonian monkey. Together with others doing a  
Masters in Research (MRes), who've worked in Uganda, the Democratic  
Republic of Congo, South Africa, Madagascar, Indonesia and Thailand,  
as well as nearer to home in Gibraltar and France, our primatology  
students are very well travelled. They are developing research skills  
in a wide range of environments aimed at furthering understanding of  
some of our nearest relations, and working towards improving their  
conservation or their welfare in captivity.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by  
Roehampton University

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