title: Effects of single daily khat (Catha edulis) extract on spatial learning and memory in CBA mice.
abstract: This study investigated the effects of fresh khat extract on learning and memory in CBA mice. A total of 20 male CBA mice, weighing 20-30 g, 5-6 weeks old were administered intraperitoneally with a single daily dose of khat extract for 5 days. The animals were divided into four groups, each comprising five animals. The first three groups were administered three doses (40, 120 and 360 mg/kg body weight) of khat extract, respectively. The last group served as controls and was administered with 0.5 ml normal saline intraperitoneally. The animals were then subjected to Morris water maze (MWM) task performance. Moderate and high doses (120 and 360 mg/kg body weight) of khat extract significantly impaired (P<0.05) while low dose (40 mg/kg body weight) of khat extract did not have a significant effect on CBA mice acquisition learning. The high dose of khat extract significantly (P<0.05) improved while moderate and low doses impaired accuracy for spatial memory of the platform location. This study has shown that khat extract has selective effect on spatial learning and memory, with low dose having no effect on learning but impairing memory, whereas high dose impairs learning but improves memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Samuel Thuu
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kimani
authors.forename: Albert Wafula
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Nyongesa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D029754:Catha / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts