Aim: Plants used in the Far North Region of Cameroon by livestock farmers to manage Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle and the phytochemical composition and antioxidant potentials of two of them (Boscia senegalensis and Tapinanthus dodoneifolius) were investigated in this study. Methods: Ethnoveterinary data were collected from 325 livestock farmers using semi-structured interviews from September 2011 to April 2012. The 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content (TPC) were first performed with five different solvents to choose the best extract of each plant based on these two factors. To achieve our aim, the ferric iron reducing activity (FIRA), hydroxyl radical scavenging activity (HRSA), free radical scavenging activity (FRSA), Vitamin E and iron content were analyzed on extracts selected using current techniques. Results: The results showed that 12 plants of 08 different families are regularly used by farmers to manage FMD. It also demonstrated that acetone extract of T. dodoneifolius and methanolic extract of B. senegalensis are the extracts which showed the best total antioxidant activity and the best TPC. In general, T. dodoneifolius show the best antioxidant activity during the HRSA and FRSA analysis compared to B. senegalensis. Likewise, T. dodoneifolius content more phenolic compounds and tannins than B. senegalensis. Both plants contain proteins, saponins, tannins, phenols, alkaloid, and polyphenols which are known to have many biological activities. Conclusion: These results support the antioxidant activity of both plants and can justify their use by herders to treat FMD which is often followed by many secondary diseases.
Key words: Boscia senegalensis, Tapinanthus dodoneifolius, Foot and Mouth Disease, Antioxidant activity
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