Ginkgo Biloba Extract: Chemical Composition, Therapeutic Applications, and Storage Guidelines

Introduction to Ginkgo biloba extract

Ginkgo Biloba Extract (C₁₉H₂₂O₆) is an organic compound. Ginkgo biloba extract is a light brown powder or a slightly yellowish solution extracted from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree. It has a characteristic herbal odor is widely known for its use in traditional medicine.

Ginkgo biloba extract has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, with records dating back to the 11th century. The active compounds of Ginkgo biloba, such as flavonoids and terpenoids, were first isolated and studied in the 20th century. This extract is used primarily for its medicinal properties, particularly in improving memory, cognitive function, and circulation. It is naturally derived from the Ginkgo biloba tree, which is known for its resilience and longevity. The extract is typically prepared through maceration and extraction, usually with a solvent like ethanol.

Figure 1 Characteristics of Ginkgo biloba extract

Use and Manufacturing

Ginkgo is extracted by an extremely complex multistep process that concentrates the active constituents and removes the toxic ginkgolic acid. The ginkgo extract is a complex mixture of both polar and nonpolar components. The more polar fractions contain flavonol and flavone glycosides. The more nonpolar fractions contain some diterpene lactones, known as Linkedin, ginkgolide acid, and isoginkgetin, and some interesting caged diterpenes known as ginkgolide A, B, C, J, and M. There is also a 15-carbon sesquiterpene (bilobalide) and other minor components. G. biloba extract is prepared by picking the leaves, drying them, and constituting them into an acetone-water extract that is standardized to contain 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpenes. G. biloba produces vasodilating effects on both the arterial and venous circulation. The result is increased tissue perfusion (i.e., in the peripheral circulation) and cerebral blood flow. The extract produces arterial vasodilatation (rodent models), dampens arterial spasticity, and decreases capillary permeability, capillary fragility, erythrocyte aggregation, and blood viscosity. There are several possible explanations for these effects. One possibility is that the compounds in G. biloba extract inhibit prostaglandin and thromboxane biosynthesis. It has also been speculated that G. biloba extract has an indirect regulatory effect on catecholamines. Ginkgolide B is reportedly a potent inhibitor of PAF.

The use of Ginkgo biloba extract

Food and health food industry Flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba have antioxidant activity and thus can be added as an antioxidant into fats and sweets. Total flavonoids are mostly yellow, and have a wide solubility spectrum including both water-solubility and lipid solubility, so they can play the role of a coloring agent. People can process Ginkgo biloba into ultrafine powder and add it to food. Grinding ginkgo leaf ultra-finely and adding to cakes, biscuits, noodles, candy, and ice cream as 5% to 10% can make Ginkgo biloba health food. Ginkgo biloba extract is taken as a food additive in Canada. It has been approved in Germany and France as a non-prescription drug, Ginkgo biloba has been loaded into United States Pharmacopeia (24th edition). Ginkgo biloba extract can be used as a dietary supplement in the United States. There are more than 30 international Ginkgo products including Ginkgo leaves, Ginkgo Oral Liquid, ginkgolide injection, ginkgo injection, Ginkgo Biloba pills, granules Compound Ginkgo biloba, Ginkgo biloba extract, etc. From 2009 to 2011, sales of ginkgo biloba preparation and Ds list stably rank the top three among commonly used Chinese medicine for treating cardiovascular disease. Ginkgo biloba leaves contain a small amount of proanthocyanidins and urushiol acid, which have certain toxicity to humans. Processing Ginkgo leaves as raw material for foods needs to undergo a special treatment to reduce proanthocyanidins and urushiol acid. However, the current dose range applied has no acute, chronic toxicity, or teratogenic effects. In 1992, the Ministry of Health approved ginkgo biloba extract as a new food additive. In recent years, total flavonoids of Ginkgo biloba leaves have been widely used in the food industry. Research and development of related products have broad prospects.2. Daily chemical industry combination of Ginkgo biloba extract and skin absorption enhancer can also prevent irritation of the adhesives when using topical ointments and sticking agents, including creams, ointments, and plasters, etc.

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