Date of Completion

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

Keywords

ALT, ALT, e-cigarette, e-liquid, V. negundo, CVDs, Cardiomegaly, Cardioprotective, Cardiotoxicity, NSS, Trimetazidine, HW/BWratio

Abstract

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), otherwise known as e-cigarettes, leads to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In the Philippines, about 1.7 million people use ENDS (GSTHR, 2021), with the country having a current problem with vaping prevalence among the youth. Vitex negundo Linn. from the family Verbenaceae, commonly known as Lagundi, is a Philippine-approved medicinal drug for cough. It contains metabolites with cardioprotective potential. With a quasi-experimental research design using animal model, twenty (20) 16- to 20-week-old male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, initially weighing 200 g to 300 g, were randomly divided into five (5) different groups (n=4). The first and second groups were designated as negative and positive controls, respectively. The third group was the experimental group, subdivided into A, B, and C and treated accordingly with prepared 150 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, and 450 mg/kg concentrations of V. negundo aqueous leaf extract. Each pre-treatment was administered for seven (7) days without induction of cardiotoxicity, followed by a combination of pre-treatment administration and induction of cardiotoxicity for fourteen (14) days. All rats were subjected to baseline determination of body weight, Aspartate transaminase (AST), and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) for pre-test and post-test comparison of data. Results show that Lagundi was able to regulate ALT within the reference range. However, it failed to maintain AST levels and prevent cardiomegaly. Among the three doses ofLagundi, 300 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg concentrations showed promising results as they were comparable to the positive control Trimetazidine (TMZ) in regulating ALT levels and AST/ALT ratio along with HW/BW ratio, respectively. The study provides evidence of the hepatoprotection ofLagundi, more so than cardioprotection, against e-cigarette smoke. Nevertheless, the researchers recommend further study on the cardioprotective effects of Lagundi utilizing cardioselective, lipid peroxidation, and cardiac enzymatic antioxidant biomarkers.

First Advisor

Ryan Joseph C. Tuzon, RPh

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