Khat-induced conditioned place preference, extinction, and reinstatement in female mice.

Khat ( Forsk), the natural source of cathinone and other psychoactive agents, is chewed by millions of persons in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula for its psychostimulant effect. Using the conditioned place preference paradigm, this study tested fresh khat extract for place preference induction, extinction, and reinstatement. Female mice treated with 100 and 250 mg/kg of khat extract showed conditioned place preference, which was extinguished following a 16-day khat-free period.

Forsk (khat) reduces spontaneous and rewarded alternation in female mice.

Around 10 million people chew the fresh leaves and twigs of Forsk (khat), which synthesize cathinone, for its psychostimulatory effect. Several studies have reported that regular khat users show executive and cognitive dysfunction, such as impaired inhibitory control and poor performance on memory tests. In this study, the effect of fresh khat extract (100 and 250 mg/kg) on spatial working memory and short-term memory in mice was assessed using spontaneous and rewarded alternation T-maze tests.

Effect of moderate-intensity exercise bouts lasting <10 minutes on body composition in sedentary Kenyan adults aged ≥50 years.

Background: Sedentary lifestyles and related morbidities are rising among adults despite existing exercise recommendations. Appealing exercise regimes yielding similar/better body composition should be sought.

Objective: We investigated the effect of moderate-intensity exercise bouts of <10 min on body composition in previously sedentary adults.

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) - And now there are three.

For centuries, a large number of people living in the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula and eastern Africa have chewed the fresh leaves and twigs of the plant Catha edulis Forsk, more commonly known as khat, for its psychostimulatory effect. The main active compound in khat is cathinone, whose synthetic derivatives form a part of the new psychoactive substances list. This review summaries the prevalence of khat use, its harvesting and consumption, the biosynthetic pathway in khat, the mechanism of action, the results from animal and human studies, and its dependence potential.

Effect of short and long moderate-intensity exercises in modifying cardiometabolic markers in sedentary Kenyans aged 50 years and above.

Objectives: We compared effects of shorter moderate-intensity exercise time (<10 min bouts) on cardiometabolic parameters with the current recommendations among elderly adults.

Methods: Fifty-three sedentary individuals aged ≥50 years were divided into exercise groups1: male and2 female short-duration bouts (M and F, respectively), and3 male and4 female long-duration bouts (M and F, respectively). Short-duration bouts consisted three 5-10 min moderate-intensity jogging sessions daily, and long-duration bouts consisted 30-60 min sessions 3-5 days weekly.

"Natural Amphetamine" Khat: A Cultural Tradition or a Drug of Abuse?

Khat, Catha edulis Forsk, is among the most widely used plant-based psychoactive substance in the world. Grown in Eastern Africa, Horn of Africa, and southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, its fresh young leaves and twigs are used daily by over 20 million people for the psychostimulatory effects it produces in the user, a practice deeply rooted in the history, tradition, and culture of the indigenous population. Once hardly known outside the regions where it is grown and used, khat use has now spread to other countries.

Role of Grooming in Reducing Tick Load in Wild Baboons ().

Nonhuman primate species spend a conspicuous amount of time grooming during social interactions, a behavior that probably serves both social and health-related functions. While the social implications of grooming have been relatively well studied, less attention has been paid to the health benefits, especially the removal of ectoparasites, which may act as vectors in disease transmission. In this study, we examined the relationship between grooming behavior, tick load (number of ticks), and haemoprotozoan infection status in a population of wild free-ranging baboons ().

Proconvulsant effect of khat (Catha edulis) in Sprague dawley rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Catha edulis (khat) is a plant whose fresh young leaves are used by an estimated five million people in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as a drug of recreation. The fresh leaves and shoots are rich in cathinone, a psychostimulant with effects similar to those of amphetamines. Psychostimulants produce a dose-related excitation of the central nervous system which can lead to seizures and convulsions.

A comparative study to screen dementia and APOE genotypes in an ageing East African population.

Previous studies have established cross-cultural methods to screen for ageing- related dementia and susceptibility genes, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD) among the Canadian Cree, African Americans and Yoruba in Nigeria. We determined whether the Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSID), translated into Kikuyu, a major language of Kenya, could be used to evaluate dementia of the Alzheimer type. Using two sets of coefficients of cognitive and informant scores, two discriminant function (DF) scores were calculated for each of 100 elderly (>65 years) Nyeri Kenyans.

In vitro study of the effects of khat (Catha edulis Forsk) extract on isolated mouse interstitial cells.

Isolated mouse interstitial cells were incubated with different concentrations of khat (Catha edulis) extract (0.06 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml, 6 mg/ml, 30 mg/ml and 60 mg/ml) and cell viability as well as testosterone concentration measured at 30 min intervals over a 3h incubation period.