www.iaset.us editor@iaset.us A REVIEW OF THE HISTORY, CULTIVATION, CHEMISTRY, PHARMACOLOGY AND ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS OF KHAT AHMED BIN ALI JERAH, ANIL KUMAR BIDWAI & MOHAMMAD SHABBIR ALAM College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ABSTRACT Khat is a term used for fresh leaves and buds of the plant Catha edulis. Khat chewing is a social tradition in some countries of eastern Africa, the southern part of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is chewed mainly for its intoxicating euphoric effect which is attributed to its active ingredients, cathinone and cathine. These are nervous stimulants that exhibit an effect similar to that of amphetamine. Habitual khat chewing is a growing concern worldwide and has been reported to have various adverse health effects. This review describes the history, cultivation, chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology of khat. We have mainly focused to review the available literature on the adverse effects on human health. An effort is also made to survey existing regulations on khat use in different countries of the world. KEYWORDS: Amphetamine, Cathine, Cathinone, Khat, Substance Abuse INTRODUCTION Catha edulis is an evergreen plant of the family Celestreceae. Its leaves and buds, called Khat, are chewed commonly in certain countries of East Africa and Arabian Peninsula as a social tradition. The habit of khat chewing has spread to many countries including the US and Western Europe on account of the spread of Yemeni, Somali and East African communities to these regions [1, 2]. The leaves are usually eaten fresh but their potency can be preserved by wrapping them in banana leaves immediately after picking [3]. Khat is chewed mainly for its euphoric effect and the ‘khat experience’ includes increased alertness, concentration, confidence, friendliness, contentment and flow of ideas [4]. Historically, khat has been used for medicinal purposes [5], as an aphrodisiac [6] and also for recreational purposes [4] due to its stimulant effects [7]. Due to its central stimulant effect it has found use in the management of obesity and depression [8]. The main active ingredient of khat responsible for its stimulant effects is cathinone. The habit of khat chewing did not pose serious public health or socio-economic problem a few decades ago as it was restricted to older people particularly Muslim who chewed khat as alcohol was prohibited in the religion [9]. However, more recently its use has spread across populations regardless of faith, ethnicity, age, sex, education etc [10]. With this rise in the prevalence of khat chewing worldwide, the concern to its adverse health has grown [2]. Habitual khat chewing has been reported to have adverse effects on almost all aspects of human health. These effects include impairment of mental health, elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) [11-14], GI problems such as constipation, stomatitis and gastritis [15]. Besides adversely affecting health, khat also has a damaging effect on socio-economic aspects of life [16]. The present review describes the adverse effects of khat chewing on human physiology including the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, genitourinary system, reproductive system and fetal and neonatal health. International Journal of Applied and Natural Sciences (IJANS) ISSN (P): 2319-4014; ISSN (E): 2319-4022 Vol. 6, Issue 3, Apr - May 2017; 45 - 62 © IASET