Ethnobotanical study and effect on mice weight gain of four plants used during famine in Burkina Faso: Raphionacme daronii, Gardenia erubescens, Leptadenia hastata and Balanites aegyptiaca

Overweight and obesity are pathologies that increase dramatically, they are most often associated with diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, stroke, type II diabetes, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias, certain cancers etc .The objective was to conduct an ethnobotanical survey of 4 plants consumed during periods of hunger and to determine the effect of the extracts of these plants on weight gain and food intake.The survey was based on direct dialogue using the respondent's choice language and the use of a questionnaire. Acute toxicity was determined on NMRI mice by orally administering of single dose of 2000 mg/kg. The slimming and anorectic potential of plant extracts was to evaluate the effect of plant extracts on weight gain and food intake of animals treated at 50, 100 and 500 mg/kg. 55 person with an age between 40 and 81 years old were interviewed. Raphionacme daronii gave the highest frequency of citation with 25.42%. All plant species showed no toxicity at 2000 mg/kg. Gardenia erubescens at 50 mg/kg gave a good activity on weight gain with a reduction of 5.18% against the control with an increase of 11.02%. Gardenia erubescens at 500 mg/kg gave the best anorectic activity on the treated animals.These plant extracts are an asset in the search for a new natural and less toxic molecule for the fight against obesity.