Summery Khat is an evergreen shrub, which is cultivated as a bush or small tree; some oral traditions claim that khat originated from Yemen. However the literature indicates that khat originated from Ethiopia, specifically in Hararghe with a gradual expansion to different parts of Ethiopia, Yemen and other parts of the world. Chewing khat is both a social and a culture-based activity; it is sai...

INTRODUCTION Khat (Catha edulis) is widely used in East Africa and the Middle East, often in combination with tobacco smoking. Sleep disturbance has been linked with habitual khat use; however, no systematic attempt has been made to test the hypothesis that use of khat and khat and tobacco in combination are related to sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbances are associated with dysregulations in ...

BACKGROUND Khat consumption is widespread in Yemeni society and causes problems both in economic development and public health. Preventive measures have been largely unsuccessful and the cultivation continues to proliferate. The gender-specific motives for khat use and abstinence were studied to create a toe-hold for more specific interventions. METHODS In a quota sample with equal numbers of...

Tuberculosis(TB) is a disease of global significance, which accounts for a death in every 15 seconds. Recent studies shows TB is rising in certain parts of the world, and Saudi Arabia is one of them. Several factor contribute in predisposing the subjects for infection including but not limited to addiction to various compounds which have immune modulation properties, such as amphetamines and He...

This study investigated the effect of Catha edulis (khat) on some important parameters of the metabolic syndrome in Wistar Ottawa Karlsburg W (WOKW) rat. The animals were fed with the standard chow containing 5% air dried pulverized khat leaves for 14 days; followed by the standard chow for 16 days. The khat leaves were sorted into green (khat light; KL) and crimson (khat dark; KD) leaves. The ...

Background: Khat is a large green shrub that grows at high altitude in the region extending from eastern to southern Africa, as well as on the Arabian Peninsula. Khat is widely consumed among the youth of Ethiopia; especially among high school, College and University students. Khat chewing is the risk of frequently absenteeism from class and poor academic performance of the students. Moreover, ...

Article history: Received on: 09/12/2013 Revised on: 18/01/2014 Accepted on: 03/03/2014 Available online: 27/11/2014 In our previous research, Khat has been shown to be associated with hepatic hypertrophy and hepatotoxicity in male and female SD-rats. However, no in vitro studies have been previously done to test on hepatotoxicity of khat on human experimental models. In vitro toxicological eva...

BACKGROUND Recently, khat chewing has become a common practice among high school, college, and university students. Regular khat chewing is thought to be a predisposing factor for different physical and mental health problems. It can lead to absenteeism from work and classes. In Ethiopia, to our knowledge no published study has investigated khat withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, this study was co...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The habit of chewing khat (Catha edulis) for its amphetamine-like effects is highly prevalent in Yemen and east Africa, and has expanded to Western countries. The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the prevalence and levels of 14 periodontal bacteria in gingival plaque of khat chewers and khat nonchewers, as well as of khat chewing sides and khat nonchewing sides....

Objectives. The habit of khat chewing is prevalent in many Middle Eastern and African cultures and has been associated with various adverse conditions in humans. This study aimed to describe histological changes induced by chronic khat chewing on the buccal mucosa. Methods. Biopsies of the buccal mucosa from 14 chronic khat chewers, 20 chronic khat chewers who also smoked tobacco, and 8 nonchew...