title: Khat use and appetite: an overview and comparison of amphetamine, khat and cathinone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To understand the role of khat (Catha edulis) use on the aberrations in appetite and weight which are common comorbidities for khat and other amphetamine users.
  
  
  METHODS
  We provide a comprehensive overview and conceptual summary of the historical cultural use of khat as a natural stimulant and describe the similarities and differences between cathinone (the main psychoactive constituent of khat) and amphetamine highlighting the limited literature on the neurophysiology of appetite and subsequent weight effects of khat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animal and some human studies indicate that khat produces appetite suppression, although little is known about mechanisms of this effect. Both direct and indirect effects of khat stem from multiple factors including behavioral, chemical and neurophysiological effects on appetite and metabolism. Classic and newly identified appetite hormones have not been explored sufficiently in the study of appetite and khat use. Unique methodological challenges and opportunities are encountered when examining effects of khat and cathinone including khat-specific medical comorbidities, unique route of administration, differential patterns of behavioral effects relative to amphetamines and the nascent state of our understanding of the neurobiology of this drug.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A considerable amount of work remains in the study of the appetite effects of khat chewing and outline a program of research that could inform our understanding of this natural amphetamine׳s appetite effects and help prepare health care workers for the unique health effects of this drug.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus, Duluth, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Andrine M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lemieux
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus, Duluth, MN, USA; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bingshuo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth Campus, Duluth, MN, USA. Electronic address: malabsi@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: al'Absi
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029754:Catha; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018547:Plant Stems
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001067:Appetite Depressants; D010936:Plant Extracts; C023665:cathinone; D000661:Amphetamine
keywords: Amphetamine; Appetite; Cathinone; Health; Khat; Weight loss