title: Khat chewing from the pharmacological point of view: an update.
abstract: Khat chewing is deeply rooted in the every day life of people living in the Horn of Africa and in South Arabia, where Catha edulis is endemic. Considered little more than an exotic habit producing just mild pharmacological effects, systematic investigations on its active principles have instead lead to the isolation and chemical characterization of cathinone, a compound structurally related to amphetamine. Three decades of intense experimental and clinical research on khat have depicted a consistently clear picture of its pharmacological and toxicological effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graziani
authors.forename: Michele S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Milella
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nencini
mesh_terms: D029754:Catha / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations