The antitrypanosomal activity of methanolic extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpus and Terminalia avicennoides were evaluated in vitro against four strains of Trypanosoma species with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value range of 12.5-50 mg/ml. Successive fractionations of the two plant extracts in water, butanol and ethyl acetate gave a range of activity (MIC, 20 to > or =50 microg/ml). Activity-guided and chromatographic analysis of butanolic fractions on Sephadex LH-20 column followed by high-performance liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and both ultraviolet and thin layer chromatography revealed hydrolysable tannins with a range of activity (MIC, 7.5-27.5 microg/ml or 14-91 microM). Effect of the compounds on fibroblasts did not reveal serious toxicity at moderate concentration but is concentration dependent.