Kath
Definition
Khat refers to the leaf-bearing tips of the khat bush. Khat plants are cultivated in the highlands of East African countries such as Ethiopia. The main active ingredients in khat are cathinone (= (S)-(-)-aminopropiophenone, Fig. 1) and cathine (= (+)-norpseudoephedrine, Fig. 2).
However, cathinone is highly unstable. For this reason, only fresh leaves of the khat plant are chewed. It is believed that cathinone is largely converted into cathine.
Fig. 1 Cathinone
Cathinone is said to be about ten times more potent than cathine. In humans, it has a circulatory-stimulating effect and acts as a psychostimulant.
Fig. 2 Cathine
