Khat leaves, indigenous to eastern Africa, have been chewed for centuries for their stimulant effects, attributed to alkaloids such as cathinone and cathine. Although associated with gastric disorders like gastritis and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the morpho-anatomy of khat leaves using light microscopy and histochemistry and to assess the effects of leaf extracts and alkaloids on human gastric epithelial cells (GES-1). The study identified specific cells in the palisade–spongy transition zone as storage sites for psychoactive alkaloids. Leaf extracts were prepared by mimicking the chewing process, including a prolonged salivary phase followed by a gastric phase. Cytotoxicity and cell viability were evaluated using LDH and MTT assays, respectively. Additionally, the impact on IL-8 secretion, a key chemokine in gastric inflammation, was analysed under normal and TNF-α-stimulated conditions. The results showed no increase in cytotoxicity up to 250 µg/mL. However, there was a significant decrease in cell metabolism and a reduction in both basal and TNF-α-induced IL-8 secretion, but cathinone and cathine were inactive. These findings suggest that khat may not directly cause the gastric issues reported in the literature, which would rather be attributed to other confounding factors, highlighting the need for further research to clarify its biological impacts.
