Cape Town - Flavourings in e-cigarette liquid may alter cell functions in the lungs, research suggests.
A number of smokers have turned to electronic cigarettes to help kick the habit.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have released findings that found flavours such as Hot Cinnamon Candies, Banana Pudding and Menthol Tobacco affected lung cells. There were changes in cell viability, cell proliferation and “calcium signalling”.
The study used cultured human cells from the lungs and exposed these to various doses of 13 different e-cigarette liquid flavours for 30 minutes and 24 hours.
In the 30-minute test, Hot Cinnamon Candies, Banana Pudding and Menthol Tobacco elicited a calcium response, while they were toxic to the cells at a higher dose.
Researchers said that in the 24-hour tests, the same three flavours decreased cell proliferation and cell viability.
Lead researcher Temperance Rowell said in a release that the effects of chemical components in e-cigarettes was virtually unknown.
The researchers were also doing experiments on the aerosolised product of e-cigarettes.
In a separate study, researchers at the University of Toronto released findings that there was very little reliable evidence that e-cigarettes were effective in getting long-term smokers to kick the habit.
Researchers said given the potential health risks of using e-cigarettes, smokers who wanted to quit should rather consider using more well-established options until more research had been carried out.
Cape Times