On the medico‐social aspects of khat (Catha edulis) chewing habit

Balint, G. A.; Bálint, Erika

doi:10.1002/hup.470090206

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…They are 5-10 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. Miraa tree is rarely affected by diseases and can live up to 75 -100 years if taken care of properly (17).…”

Section: Cultivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Outside Kenya, Tanzania has become a big new market, and the Somali miraa market demands have increased. The demand in Somalia is so high that in 2006, 20 tons (worth US$ 800,000) were shipped daily from Kenya (17). The trade of miraa in one Somali city alone (Hargeisa) is estimated at US$ 300,000 a day.…”

Section: Economic Importance Of Miraamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The leaves have an astringent taste and a characteristic aromatic odour. The young leaves are slightly sweet (17). Various compounds (over 40) have been identified in miraa, including alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, sterols, glycosides, tannins, amino acids, minerals and others (27) The phenylalkylamines and cathedulins are the major alkaloids.…”

Section: Composition Of Miraamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The miraa phenylalkylamines comprise cathinone (S-(-)-cathinone) and the two diastereoisomerscathine (1S, 2 S-(+)-norpseudoephedrine or (+)-norpseudoephedrine) and norephedrine (1R,2 S-(-)-norephedrine). These compounds are structurally related to amphetamine and noradrenaline (17,28). Cathinone is found mainly in the young leaves and shoots.…”

Section: Composition Of Miraamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Catha edulis is also found sporadically in Afghanistan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkistan (17). In Kenya, miraa is grown intensively in the Nyambene Hills district by the Tigania and Igembe (sub-groups of the Meru).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Oral Mucosal Cytological Changes among Miraa Chewers in Meru Kenya

Ogada¹,

L.W²,

J.R³

2014

IOSRJDMS

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Abstract:Background: Miraa, qat, chat, cat, ghat or khat (Catha edulis) I. IntroductionOral and pharyngeal cancers combined represent the fifth most common type of cancer and the seventh most common cause of deaths by cancer worldwide, although oral cancer is more common than pharyngeal cancer (1). Oral and pharyngeal cancers are three times more common in males than in females (2). Factors such as alcohol, tobacco, diet low in fruits and vegetables, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and excessive sun exposure have been associated with oral cancer as well as habitual miraa chewing (3-6).The harmful effects of miraa chewing have been observed in various body systems (7). Most of the active compounds of miraa are released into saliva during chewing and are mainly absorbed through the oral mucosa (8). The oral mucosa is thus exposed to high doses of miraa components, rendering it susceptible to Oral Mucosal Cytological Changes among Miraa Chewers in Meru Kenyawww.iosrjournals.org 69 | Page potentially toxic effects. Miraa chewing induces oral keratotic white lesions on the buccal mucosa of miraa chewers. These lesions have been shown to occur specifically at the regions where the miraa bolus is placed during chewing (9). Miraa is genotoxic to cells in the oral mucosa, with several studies suggesting an association between miraa use and oral lesions like hyperkeratosis and oral cancer. Current reports show that the prevalence of oral cancer associated with miraa chewing is on the increase both in the developed and developing countries (4). The carcinogens acquired from miraa chewing lead to acquisition of genomic disorders promoting malignancy. Two types of precancerous lesions in the oral cavity are identified, the principal precancerous lesion being white lesions (leukoplakia) and the less common red lesions (erythroplakia) (10). A high prevalence of oral leukoplakia in any population is a strong indicator of risk for oral cancer. In addition, the use of tobacco has generally been accepted as the principal etiologic factor for oral Leukoplakia (11,12). However, the observation of this lesion in individual who do not use tobacco implies that non-tobacco factors may also play a role (13,14). Alcohol and miraa have been suspected as possible etiological co-factors for oral mucosal cancer, but their independent roles have not been established (14,15).In Kenya, in addition to using tobacco, the Ameru people widely use alcohol and miraa, which are popular because of their socio-cultural values in this community. This ethnic group is ranked high among communities most affected by both oral and naso-pharyngeal carcinomas because of the high cultivation and consumption of miraa (14).The success of oral cancer prevention in this region will rely on the better understanding of the prevalence, risk factors and identification of possible etiological factors involved, identification of precancerous lesions through screening as well as management of these pre-cancerous lesions. This study therefore sought to describe the ora...

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“…They are 5-10 cm long and 1-4 cm wide. Miraa tree is rarely affected by diseases and can live up to 75 -100 years if taken care of properly (17).…”

Section: Cultivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Economic Importance Of Miraamentioning

confidence: 99%