PDR for Herbal Medicines

342/GINGER PDR FOR HERBAL MEDICINES

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Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 4. Aufl., Bde 1-8: Springer Verlag

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1980.

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Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba
TRADE NAMES
Ginkgo Biloba (available from numerous manufacturers and
as a combination product), Bioginkgo, Gincosan, Ginexin
Remind, Ginkai, Ginkoba, Ginkgo Go!, Ginkgold, Ginkgo
Power, Ginkgoba, Ginkgo Leaf, Quanterra Mental
Sharpness, Ginko Biloba Premium Extract, Gingko Biloba
Extract, Activated Ginkgo, Nuveg Ginkgo Power, Time
Release Ginkgo Power, Senior Ginkgo Power, Herbal Sure
Maximum Strength Gingko Biloba

DESCRIPTION

Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the fresh or dried

leaves, and the seeds separated from their fleshy outer layer.

Flower and Fruit: The tree flowers for the first time when it

is between 20 and 30 years old. The flowers are dioecious.

They are in the axils of the lower leaves of the current year's

short shoots. The male flowering parts are attached to short

catkins. The female flowers have longer pedicles and are at

the end of a leafless branch. Fertilization occurs months after

pollination by spermatozoids, although usually only one

ovule is fully formed. The light green or yellowish seeds,

incorrectly called fruit, later become fleshy and plum-like.

They have a diameter of 2.5 to 3 cm, and each contains a

two-edged edible nut.

Leaves, Stem and Root: Ginkgo biloba is a 30 to 40 m high

dioecious tree with a girth of about 4 m. The trees can live

for hundreds of years. The bark is light to dark brown with

rough grooves and reticulate fissures. The leaves are fan-

shaped with bifurcated ribs and glabrous. They are fresh

green to golden yellow in autumn. The female trees are

pointed and pyramid-shaped; the male trees are broad and

sparer.

Characteristics: The seeds smell like butyric, capric or

valeric acid when ripe.

Habitat: Ginkgo is indigenous to China, Japan and Korea,

and is also found in Europe and the U.S.

Production: The leaves are harvested either mechanically or

by hand from plantations or in the wild. The leaves are then

dried and pressed into balls. A dry extract from the dried leaf

of Ginkgo biloba is manufactured using acetone/water and

subsequent purification steps without addition of concen-

trates or isolated ingredients.

Other Names: Maidenhair-Tree

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

COMPOUNDS

Flavonoids (0.5-1.8%): including monosides, biosides and

triosides of quercetin, isorhamnetins, 3-0- methylmyristi-

cins, and kaempferol, to some extent estered with p-coumar-

ic acid

Biflavonoides (0.4-1.9%): for example, amentoflavone, bilo-

betin, 5-methoxybilobetin, ginkgetin, isoginkgetin

Proanthocyanidins (8-12%)

Trilactonic diterpenes (0.06-0.23%): ginkgolide A, B, C

Trilactonic sesquiterpene bilabolids (0.04-0.2%)

EFFECTS

Ginkgolide B is a potent inhibitor of platelet-activating

factor (PAF), which is important for the induction of