Sorry, no monkeying around jokes. But Ugandan and French scientists have for months been observing the behavior of chimpanzees whose aptitude for self-medication could help humans discover new drugs, writes Agence-France Presse. Their ability to treat ailments by adjusting diet has long been observed by scientists, but this is “the first time that a chimpanzee observation aimed at discovering new medicine for humans is conducted within a scientific framework,” says Sabrina Krief, a French veterinary and professor at the Paris National History Museum.

The University of Makerere in Kampala is conducting the project in partnership with the museum, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research and the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Should a new drug be discovered through the project, the memorandum of understanding signed by all the partners includes a revenue-sharing clause, AFP tells us.

A key moment in the research is when one of the 50 or so chimps gets sick. The primate’s choice of food - what’s pulled out of the medicine chest - is packed with info that could lead scientists to new discoveries. “We want to compare which plants are used by the traditional healers or traditional practitioners, and the medicines used by chimpanzees. Is there a relation for the kind of treatment they go for?,” John Kasenene, professor of botanics at the university, tells AFP.

At dawn, the team collects chimp poop from under the night nest for analysis. One chimp named Yogi, suffering from intestinal worms, ingested Aneilema aequinoctiale leaves in the morning and Albizia grandibracteata bark in the evening. Such plants have been used in traditional medicine in some areas and the researchers later confirmed through in vitro testing that they acted against parasites.

Another male chimpanzee who had been feverish and weak was observed eating only Trichilia rubescens leaves for a whole day. The plants’ molecules, later isolated by the scientists in a laboratory, were found to be effective against malaria. “These findings have allowed us to discover new plant molecules with significant properties against malaria, worms or tumours,” Krief tells AFP.

Around 100 different kinds of plants have already been sampled in Kibale since the start of 2007. “It’s quite rare to find active molecules but especially new molecules which might put us on the path to developing new pharmaceuticals,” which is the ultimate goal of the project, says Krief.