Abstract
Methanol extracts from twenty three plants harvested from the Savannah vegetation belt of Nigeria were analyzed in vitro for trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Trypanosoma congolense at concentrations of 4 mg/ml, 0.4 mg/ml and 0.04 mg/ml. Extracts of Khaya senegalensis, Piliostigma reticulatum, Securidacalongepedunculata and Terminalia avicennoides were strongly trypanocidal to both organisms while extracts of Anchomanes difformis, Cassytha spp, Lannea kerstingii, Parkia clappertioniana, Striga spp, Adansonia digitata and Prosopis africana were trypanocidal to either T. brucei brucei or T. congolense. These findings provide evidence of the effects of some plants in the traditional management of trypanosomiasis. Key words: Savannah, medicinal plants, trypanocidal effects, trypanosomiasis, trypanosome, in vitro model.  
Highlights
Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Congolense are unicellular parasites transmitted by the bite of tsetse fly and is the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans and related diseases in animals (Warren, 1988; Kuzoe, 1993)
The search for vaccination against African trypanosomiasis remains elusive and effective treatment is beset with problems of drug resistance and toxicity (Onyeyili and Egwu, 1995; Gutterridge, 1985; Aldhous, 1994)
As a follow up to that work, we present in this publication, report on systematic in vitro assessment of methanol extracts of some Nigerian savannah plants for their trypanocidal activity using T. brucei brucei and T. congolense as test organisms
Summary
Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Congolense are unicellular parasites transmitted by the bite of tsetse fly and is the causative agent of sleeping sickness in humans and related diseases in animals (Warren, 1988; Kuzoe, 1993). Several reports on the evaluation of different chemicals/drugs for trypanocidal activity have appeared (Bodley et al, 1995; Bodley and Shapiro, 1995) just as are interesting reports on the antitrypanosomal effects of plant extracts and plant derivatives (Freiburghaus et al, 1996, 1997, 1998; Sepulveda-Boza et al, 1995; Nok et al, 1993; Asuzu and Chineme, 1990). Some of these reports have shown that, at least under in vitro conditions, some of these plants possess trypanocidal activity (Freiburghaus et al, 1996, 1997, 1998). Such systematic evaluation has not been reported for Nigerian plants
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