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A survey was conducted in the central region of Burkina Faso to find out about women's menopause-related disorders and their treatment in traditional medicine. Fifty-six (56) species have been identified to treat different symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia, nausea, joint and muscle pain, itching, lower abdominal pain, edema, mood disorders, vertigo. Leaves and stem bark were the most recommended in the preparation of recipes, at 43 and 39% respectively. The majority of the species (60.72%) was local food plants with a high use value (UVs ≥ 0.50). Many chemical groups including alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, sterols, triterpenes, anthraquinones, carotenoids, anthracenosides, phenolic acids, coumarins, capable of reducing or eliminating these different symptoms exist in these plants. Also, the presence of several mineral elements such as Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P), Sodium (Na), Aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe), Potassium (K), Iodine (I), Vitamins A, B, C, F, K, P, E, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fibers, resins and gum show the importance of these plants in human nutrition. These local plants are therefore potential sources for the development of new natural nutraceuticals in the management of menopausal period in women. Key words: Menopause, medicinal plants, nutrients, phytoestrogens.

Acacia seyal and Acacia tortilis are used in the treatment of infectious diseases in traditional medicine by population in Northern Burkina Faso. Phytochemical screening by tube test and on HPTLC plates showed the presence of important chemical compounds in these plants. Determination of total phenolic content using method of Folin-Ciocalteu Reagent (FCR) and antioxidant activity by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test, showed that this biological activity is related to phenolic content. The trunk bark of A. tortilis had an important antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 0.01±0.01 µg/mL due to its highest content (p

Considered safe because being from natural origin, plant products can exhibit toxic effects during their use. To ensure safe use of Annona senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae), plant widely used for its therapeutic potential, the phytochemical and safety profiles of its root wood were investigated. Standard tube characterization tests were used to highlight phytochemical groups of root wood of the plant. Acute and subacute toxicity tests were carried out in Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) test guidelines. The phytochemical screening showed the presence of sterols and triterpens, polyphenols, reducing compounds, and flavonoids in root wood of Annona senegalensis (A. senegalensis). In toxicological studies, the results indicate that the aqueous extract has a low acute toxicity with an LD50 greater than 5000 mg/kg b.w. The results of subacute toxicity study indicate that the mice receiving 300 mg/kg b.w. of extract experienced mildly decreased body weights in comparison with the control in non-significant manner, especially at the fourth week. After 28 days of treatment, apart aspartate aminotransferase (AST), no significant changes were found in the blood serum biochemical parameters such as total proteins, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose, creatinin, and lipid levels of the treated mice in comparision with the control group. In view of the current results, A. senegalensis root wood aqueous extract would be considered as safe in both acute and subacute exposure. However, long-term toxicity studies are needed for further toxicological profile elicitation of the plant, and a possible reinforcement of clinical relevance of the results of laboratory studies. Key words: Annona senegalensis, blood chemistry, Medical Research Institute (NMRI) mice, phytochemical compounds, sex-related toxicity, traditional medicine.

Cassia sieberiana DC. (Caesalpiniaceae), Guiera senegalensis JF. Gmel (Combretaceae) and Excoecaria grahamii (Hochst) Pax. (Euphorbiaceae) are used in traditional medicine in Burkina Faso to treat gastro-intestinal parasites. Standard methods were used for phytochemical screening and to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity of the aqueous extracts of the three (3) plants using the egg hatch test against Haemonchus contortus eggs. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of anthocyanosides, tannins, saponosides, reducing compounds, carbohydrates, flavonoids and triterpenic steroids in the extracts of the root bark of C. sieberiana and the leaves of C. sieberiana, G. senegalensis and E. grahamii. All extracts inhibited significantly (p< 0.05) the eggs hatch of H. contortus. At the concentration of 14.25 mg/mL, the percentages of inhibition varied from 60.33 ± 8.43 to 76.6 ± 4.91%. These results indicate that the studied plants possess anthelminthic activities and thus justify their use for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasites infections. Key words: Anthelmintic activity, medicinal plants, phytochemical, in vitro, Haemonchus contortus, Burkina Faso.