The growing interest in naturally grown plant-based herbal products resulted in a number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country which develop nutraceutical products in capsule form, healthy beverages and tea which are all for human consumption but not for veterinary uses.
In response to this need, the Department of Agriculture tapped veterinary universities in the Philippines to innovate by doing researches in relation to utilization of food or feeds with certain medicinal benefits for animals.
The Pampanga State Agricultural University, through funding grant from the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research, established the Nutraceutical Research Laboratory (NRL) in 2014. This laboratory has tissue culture, microbiology, and an animal facility for conduct of experiments using laboratory mice. The laboratory, headed by Dr. Geraldine C. Sanchez, has been permitted to operate as an animal model research facility from the Bureau of Animal Industry.
The NRL has already produced several research outputs on the antidiabetic properties of mushrooms (Pleurotus florida, Coprinus comatus, Ganoderma lucidum, Volvariela volvacea), red mold rice and brown rice extracts; anticlastogenic of red mold rice, pigeon pea, black rice, turmeric, mulberry; anticancer benefits of malabar nightshade and hypocholesterolemic of pigeon pea.
The laboratory was also tapped by the Department of Agriculture – Central Office to investigate whethere organic pork and poultry products sold in organic markets are really free from such antibiotic residues. Under the DA-Central Luzon Integrated Organic Agriculture – Program (DA-CLIO AGRI), the PSAU conducted investigative research using local and supermarket organic products and found that some products sold as organic were actually contaminated with antibiotics.
Recently, one study funded by DA-BAR on “Utilization of Soybean to Enhance Growth, Fertility and Health among Black Tiaong (BT) Native Pigs” was adjudged as 2nd best research poster in the DOST- Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology Annual Research Conference in 2020.
Another output of the laboratory is a book chapter titled “Uses and Regulation of Nutraceuticals for Animals in the Philippines”. The said chapter is found in the Nutraceuticals in Veterinary Medicine published by the Springer in 2019.
Awards Received by the Nutraceutical Research Team
| Award/Commendation | Date | Award Giving Body | Nature of Award |
| Best Research Paper-Young Researchers’ Category “Molecular Identification of Sour (Tamarindus indica L.) and Sweet Tamarind (T.indica L. Var. Aglibut) using ITS, rbcL and matK DNA markers” | May 15, 2018 | International Society Structural and Molecular Biology | International |
| 2nd Best Paper “Phytochemical and Anticlastogenic Property of Organic Mulberry Leaf Extract in the Bone Marrow Cells of Mitomycin-C Induced White Mice (Mus musculus)” | April 25, 2018 | DOST-DOH Region III | Regional |
| Best Project Proposal in Developing Winning Proposals | March 9, 2018 | DA-ATI Central Office | National |
| 3rd Best Paper “Phytochemical and Anticlastogenic Activities of Organic Mulberry Hot Water extracts against Mitomycin-C in Bone Marrow Cells” | April 26, 2018 | DOST-DOH | Regional |
| Best Paper under Medicine and Surgery “Antidiabetic Potential of Red Mold Rice and its Gross Histopathological Description in Selected Organs in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats (Rattus norvegicus)” | October 20, 2017 | Philippine Society of Animal Science | National |
| Best Presentor under Research Category Anticlastogenic Potential Of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) Aqueous Extract Against Mitomycin-C In The Bone Marrow Cells Of White Mice (Mus Musculus L.) | July 28, 2017 | PSAU | Local |
| Third Best Paper CLHRDC R&D Symposium held at Travellers Hotel, Subic, Olongapo City Paper is entitled: “Hypocholesterolemic Potential of ICRISAT-bred Pigeon Pea in Mice Fed with High Cholesterol Diet” | April 25, 2017 | CLHRDC- DOST Region III | Regional |
| Second Best Paper under Research Category of 2016 CLARRDEC Regional Scientific Symposium .Antidiabetic Potential of Red Mold Rice and its Gross Histopathological Description in Selected Organs in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats (Rattus norvegicus) | December 1, 2016 | Central Luzon Agricultural Regional Research and Development Consortium – CLARRDEC | Regional |
| Best Paper in Science, Technology and Engineering Category Paper is entitled “Antidiabetic Potential of Red Mold Rice and its Gross Histopathological Descritption in Selected Organs in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats (Rattus norvegicus) | November 22, 2016 | 2016 Inter and Intra Insitutional University among SUCs in Region III In-House Review of DHVTSU | Regional |