A Systematic Review on Vitex negundo (NIRPROMP formulations) for the Treatment of Acute Cough of Mild to Moderate Severity in Pediatric Patients Daisy-Mae Alegado-Bagaoisan, 1 Mary Christne R. Castro 2 and Jaime M. Purifcacion 1 1 Institute of Herbal Medicine, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines 2 Nutrition Center of the Philippines, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Philippines ABSTRACT Objectve. The aim of this systematc review was to evaluate the efcacy and safety of Vitex negundo (lagundi) for the treatment of acute cough of mild to moderate severity among pediatric patents. Methods. A systematc review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing lagundi to placebo for acute cough of mild to moderate severity in children and adolescents aged two to twenty one years in ambulatory setngs was performed. Authors of unpublished clinical trials with existng patent numbers were contacted and permission was obtained to access and include their studies in this review. Results. Seven studies were included, with a total of 308 partcipants. Lagundi increased the peak exploratory fow rate (PEFR) at the end of therapy compared with placebo but this was not statstcally signifcant (p=0.36). The increase in PEFR was consistent with the results of the mechanistc isolated tssue studies that showed bronchodilatng efect of lagundi. Studies using lagundi syrup showed decrease in the frequency of cough by 44–71%. Conclusion. Lagundi therapy in acute cough of mild to moderate severity among pediatric patents has a bronchodilatng efect and decreases the frequency and duraton of coughing, with no serious adverse efects. Key Words: Vitex negundo, lagundi, cough INTROduCTION Cough is the most common symptom in primary care in which patients seek medical consultation, and persistent cough among children is normally the reason for a child to be referred to a physician and pulmonologist. 1 On the average, normal children cough 11 times per day when they are well and this increases in frequency and severity when there is presence of upper respiratory tract infections. 2 Cough can either be acute or chronic. Acute cough is a recent onset of cough lasting less than 3 weeks while chronic cough last greater than 8 weeks. Cough can also either be specifc or non-specifc, recurrent, or post-viral. Specifc cough is a cough in which there is a clearly identifable cause. Non- specifc cough is a persistently dry cough with no other associated respiratory symptoms. Te majority of cough cases is due to a non-serious etiology and may spontaneously resolve by itself. 3 On the other hand, recurrent cough is a repeated cough (with episodes of ≥2/year) not associated with head colds lasting more than 7-14 days while post-viral cough is a cough that starts with an upper respiratory tract infection but the duration is greater than 3 weeks. 4 Corresponding author: Daisy-Mae O. Alegado-Bagaoisan, RPh Insttute of Herbal Medicine Natonal Insttutes of Health University of the Philippines Manila 623 Pedro Gil St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines Email: dabagaoisan@up.edu.ph ACTA MEdICA PHILIPPINA VOL. 54 NO. 1 2020 36 ORIGINAL ARTICLE