Khat tree

The Chinese drug ma huang (Ephedra sinica Stapf) has been used in China for more than SOOOyears. The alkaloid that is responsible for the CNS stimulant effects is ephedrine. The levorotatory erythro isomer ( l)is the most active of the four possible stereoisomers with that structural formula. Khat (kat, or qat) or Abyssinian tea Catha edulis Forskal) is the product from a small tree or shrub indigenous to tropical East Afiica. Khat leaves are chewed habitually by peoples in East Africa and certain other Arabian countries, and produce a mild CNS stimulant effect (2). The principal... 

Q Khat (Catha edulis), indigenous to the higher elevations of Yemen and Somalia, has been mentioned for the first time around 1300. Its principal alkaloid is (-)-(S)-cathinone. The freshly-cut leaves of the tree, which grows up to a height of 25 metres, are chewed and induce a mild state of intoxication. Tiredness fades away, physical work becomes easier and the sensation of hunger is suppressed. Side-effects upon long-term use are gastritis, loss of appetite, impotence and constipation. [112]... 

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