In a context of limited access to modern veterinary care, this study aims to document the ethnoveterinary practices used by pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in the province of Houet in western Burkina Faso for the treatment of animal diseases. A survey was conducted between July and October 2022 among 270 livestock farmers, using semi-structured questionnaires, individual interviews and focus groups. A total of 44 plant species belonging to 28 families were identified. The most frequently cited species were Faidherbia albida (58.1%), Khaya senegalensis (54.2%), Guiera senegalensis (43%), Parkia biglobosa (31.8%), followed by Vitellaria paradoxa and Sterculia setigera. The leaves and bark were the most commonly used parts of the species listed. The fruits (5%) and pulp (7%), which are rarely prepared, were mainly administered as food (100% and 50% respectively). The leaves are used in all kinds of recipes and administered in parallel through force-feeding, food, exposure and application. The most commonly treated pathologies were animal trypanosomiasis (19.04%), envenomation (14.28%) and parasitic infestations (12.85%). Multiple factor analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups of livestock farmers in terms of the species used and the therapeutic approaches adopted. These results confirm the importance of endogenous knowledge in local animal health and could help in the search for resilient solutions for the health treatment of domestic farm animals.

This study reviews the current state of knowledge on the roles of lysine and methionine in monogastric nutrition, and their potential availability in feedstuffs for pigs and chickens in Burkina Faso. It aims to better orient ongoing research to make these amino acids more available and optimize their content in local feed resources and their use in the rationing of pigs and chickens on intensive farms in Burkina Faso. Searches carried out mainly online using the Google Scholar search engine yielded a wide range of documents, which were filtered to retain only the most significant ones dealing with the above-mentioned themes. A total of 294 documents were identified, from which 126 references were selected and used for this literature review. Lysine and methionine are the most limiting amino acids in pig and chicken feed, in that their deficiency in rations affects feed efficiency, leads to reduced growth and dysfunctions in the organism. The methionine and lysine used in Burkina Faso are imported synthetic products that are not easily accessible due to their high cost. Their availability in certain ingredients can be improved by germination and/or heat treatment. Compliance with recommended lysine and methionine requirements in formulations for pigs and chickens is essential to optimize their utilization by the body, while reducing nitrogen losses and ensuring good productivity.

The use of synthetic pesticides may present a danger to humans and the environment, to the point that the research of an alternative to these chemicals is necessary. The present study, aimed finding new natural molecules that may replace synthetic chemicals, looked at the effect of the ethanolic extract of B.grandiflora bark on eight seed-borne phytopathogenic fungi. The results of this study showed that C. lunata and C. dematium are the most sensitive to the ethanolic extract. This attests the presence of fungicidal or fungistatic substances in B. grandiflora bark. These results show that the ethanolic extract contains active molecules which, once fractionated, could constitute an alternative in the fight against phytopathogenic fungi. These preliminary results open up the possibility of using the bark of B. grandiflora for the production of a natural fungicide. Bioguided fractionation and phytotoxicity tests will identify the most active and non-toxic fractions which could be use in seed protection.