Meru researchers make chewing gum, energy drink and wine from miraa

A team of researchers has made an energy drink from muguka and wine from miraa in an effort to show the positive side of these commodities.

The team, from Meru University Of Science and Technology also produced chewing gum from the two products. 

“We have been researching mainly on nutrition and vital chemical composition of miraa and muguka,” food scientist Joshua Arimi said.

The professor said their research led to the development of the wine christened Miraa Bamboocha and Muguka Energy Drink. 

Scientifically the two stimulants are the same plant known as Catha Edulis (khat).

“We have also researched and made chewing gum from miraa and muguka,” Arimi said, adding that both plants are rich in vital chemicals and polyphenols.

Polyphenols are micronutrients or chemicals occurring naturally in plants. 

They are also good in fibre and nutraceutical compounds (substances derived from food sources that are considered to have nutritional or therapeutic effects).

The food scientist said they decided to lead by example and show it is possible to add value after they noticed the raw plants are not appealing to some people.

While miraa and muguka inject around Sh.13 billion to the economy, their presentability is not aesthetic, hence the need for value addition.

Arimi said value addition will also enable the government to regulate the stimulants so that they are not consumed by underage users.

The professor addressed claims on the harmful effects of khat that have been the subject of controversy at the Coast. 

“Why are they coming up now? How does it make people zombies in Mombasa and not in Embu and Meru? There must be another thing that is contributing to that behavioUr and mannerism in Coast and not miraa and muguka,” Arimi said.

He said the chemical components found in miraa and muguka - cardinal and cathine - are known to cause stimulation.

“Once miraa and muguka start withering, cardinal neglects into cathine which is less potent.”

Apart from the two compounds, khat has over 50 others, which they are also looking into. 

“We are expounding to see what benefits the other compounds have as the two were only used to classify miraa and muguka as a drug, but we think there are other benefits we can derive from the plant,” the professor said.

To study such plants begins with analysing the macronutrients, such as e protein, carbohydrate and fats content.

Arimi urged the government to fund miraa research so that they can study more of its benefits.

Patrick Kubai, a pharmacological and herbal researcher at the university dismissed allegations that the stimulants can cause mental illness, saying Meru and Embu would have been leading in mental cases.  

Kubai added that they discovered miraa can help people with diabetes and hypertension, but studies are still being conducted.

Focused research on miraa has been ongoing at the university for years.

Vice Chancellor Romanus Odhiambo said the institution will seek to find the benefits of miraa.

“There has been a lot of talk in Kenya about miraa and muguka and as university, we wanted to report to the whole country we have been doing research on both for the last 10 years,” Odhiambo said.

He added that arguments should be inquiry-based and where people are not sure, they should go to institutions of research and ask for studies to be done.

“People only talk about the negative things they imagine which are not based on research and sense.”

The VC said they are building the Miraa Research Institute that will advance research.

“The Miraa Research Institute will tell Kenyans more about miraa. What is miraa, how it is grown and various species they have in the country,” he said.

Apart from chewing, the commodity can make juices and wines and even yoghurt, Odhiambo added. 

“Why can’t we think about building a factory for miraa products and value addition because according to research, we have seen it can make many products.”

He spoke on Thursday during the launch of the university's 3rd International Conference on Science of Climate Action.