The aim of this work is to compare the catalytic activity of some pure and doped lanthanum cobaltites, prepared by solution combustion technique, with a Pt/Al2O3 commercial catalyst. As test reaction we used the combustion of lean methane mixtures. The experimental data evidenced a significantly better catalytic activity of a cerium-doped lanthanum cobaltite, prepared by using alpha-alanine as fuel. The combustion data, for the lean methane mixtures we tested, are well fitted by a first-order kinetic expression. The calculated activation energy values are in good agreement with the published data. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.