Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

among the best-selling phytomedicines in
Europe; used clinically for heart disease, eye
ailments, tinnitus, cerebral and peripheral vas-
cular insufficiency, injuries involving brain
trauma, dementias, short-term memory im-
provement, cognitive disorders secondary to
depression, vertigo, and various conditions
associated with senility.^46
Leaf extracts used in cosmetics include
shampoos, creams, and lotions.

Food. Seeds considered a delicacy in Japan
and China; edible after acrid, foul-smelling
pulp is removed; seeds are then boiled or
roasted and eaten sparingly (no more than
8–10 per day). Fresh seeds are toxic and have
reportedly caused death in children; pulp
may cause contact dermatitis similar to poison
ivy rash; handled with rubber gloves. Inges-
tion of fresh seeds may cause stomachache,
nausea, diarrhea, convulsions, weak pulse,
restlessness, difficult breathing, and shock.
Dyed-red, the nuts were traditionally eaten at
weddings (FOSTER AND YUE).

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. In the
United States, various ginkgo leaf prepara-
tions or crude leaf are sold as dietary supple-
ments in the form of tablets, capsules, tincture,
standardized extracts, tea, and so on.

Traditional Medicine. In China, the dried,
processed seed (baiguo) is used in prescrip-
tions for asthma, coughs with phlegm, enure-

sis, mucous vaginal discharges, bronchitis

with asthma, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis,

frequent urination, seminal emissions, turbid

urine, and so on. Externally, seed are poulticed

for scabies and sores.

The leaves (bai guo ye) used in prescrip-

tions for arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris, high

serum cholesterol levels, dysentery, and fila-

riasis. An infusion of the boiled leaves used as

wash for chilblains (FOSTER AND YUE).

Other. The root and inner bark are Chinese

folk medicines; bark used in prescriptions for

mucous vaginal discharges, seminal emission,

or weak, convalescing patients; dried bark,

burned to ash, mixed with vegetable oil as

poultice for neurodermatitis.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Crude herb, extracts, dried leaf in capsules,

tinctures, and so on. Purified ginkgolide B is

known commercially as BN 52021. A com-

plex standardized extract of the dried leaves

(EGb 761), produced by a German/French

consortium; standardized to 24% flavone

glycosides and ginkgolide B is widely sold

in Europe (especially in Germany and

France).

Regulatory Status. Class 1 dietary supple-

ment (can be safely consumed when used

appropriately).

REFERENCES

See the General References forBARNES;BLUMENTHAL2;DER MARDEROSIAN AND BEUTLER;EVANS;FOSTER
AND YUE;GLASBY2;HUANG;TYLER1;WEISS;WREN.

1. N. Boralle et al. in P. Braquet, ed.,
   Ginkgolides—Chemistry, Biology,
   Pharmacology, and Clinical Perspec-
   tives, Vol. 1, J. R. Prous Science
   Publishers, Barcelona, 1988, p. 9.


2. H. Huh and E. J. Staba,J. Herbs Spices
   Med. Plants, 1 , 91 (1992).


3. S. H. Huang et al.,Eur. J. Pharmacol.,
   494 , 131 (2004).
   4. M. Dell’Agli et al.,Planta Med., 72 , 468
   (2006).
   5. S. K. Hyun et al.,Chem. Pharm. Bull.
   (Tokyo), 53 , 1200 (2005).
   6. E. Bedir et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem., 50 ,
   3150 (2002).
   7. W. Pan et al.,Pest. Manag. Sci., 62 , 283
   (2006).

Ginkgo 327