GINKGO BILOBA

The anti-anxiety and mild anti-depression property of Ginkgo Biloba Extract is due to reversible inhibition of the two enzymes MAOA and MAOB. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects mainly contribute to the flavonoid and terpenoid content in Ginkgo Biloba Extract. Alkaloid ketones, amino acids, cyanogenic glycosides and phenols, which are abundant in this plant extract, are the active ingredients responsible for its therapeutic effects. Ginkgo Biloba Extract has positive effects on psychosis, anxiety, schizophrenia and depression. It stimulates cerebral blood circulation and improves problems caused by failure of blood circulation in the brain such as anxiety, stress, poor memory, hearing problems, poor concentration, thinking, social behavior and dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Besides its free radical scavenging properties, it has also been shown to affect the transcription of several genes associated with oxidative stress regulation. Several recent studies have shown that Ginkgo Biloba Extract protects against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting Aβ-induced events such as glucose uptake, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, AKT activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, JNK and ERK 1/2 pathways, and apoptosis. . Since AβPP processing and amyloidogenesis are hypothesized to be affected by free circulating and intracellular cholesterol levels, Ginkgo Biloba Extract has been reported to inhibit Aβ production in the brain by lowering circulating free cholesterol levels. Ginkgo Biloba Extract may also interfere with Aβ oligomer formation. It is well established that the β-sheet structure of Aβ oligomers is primarily responsible for Aβ neurotoxicity and may also aid in clearance of Aβ via proteolytic cleavage. Therefore, inhibiting the formation of the β-sheet structure of Aβ oligomers may be the main strategy to prevent Aβ toxicity. Ginkgo Biloba Extract has iron chelating properties that can also inhibit Aβ fibril formation. Ginkgo Biloba Extract can also prevent Aβ fibril formation by increasing transthyretin gene expression. The anti-Aβ effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract on Aβ aggregation was also observed with the flavonoid compounds, ginkgolide J and bilobalide. It has also been shown that Ginkgo Biloba Extract regulates mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) against Aβ-induced oxidative stress, thus helping to maintain the ROS/RNS (reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species) balance in cells. Studies show that Ginkgo Biloba Extract provides beneficial effects on cellular OXPHOS function, thereby helping to improve mitochondrial function against Aβ-induced toxicity. The antioxidant activity in Ginkgo Biloba Extract is related to flavonoid components such as kaempferol and quercetin, which suppress ROS in the body in both in vitro and in vivo models. The flavonoid fraction is directly responsible for the antioxidant effect through ROS scavenging, chelation of pro-oxidative heavy metal ions, and increased expression of antioxidant proteins such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GSH). 

PUBLISHED ARTICLES :

** CNS Neurosci Ther. 2019 Feb;25(2):288-298.doi: 10.1111/cns.13095.

Treatment of dementia and mild cognitive impairment with or without cerebrovascular disease: Expert consensus on the use of Ginkgo Biloba Extract, EGb 761®

** Front Pharmacol. 2021 Nov 4;12:775034.doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.775034. eCollection 2021.

The Use of Ginkgo Biloba L. as a Neuroprotective Agent in the Alzheimer's Disease

** Neurotherapeutics. 2019 Jul;16(3):666-674.doi: 10.1007/s13311-019-00767-8.

Neuroprotective and Antioxidant Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract Against AD and Other Neurological Disorders

** Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Apr 1;14(4):305.doi: 10.3390/ph14040305.

Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia: The Role of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761®)

** JAMA. 2008 Nov 19;300(19):2253-62.doi: 10.1001/jama.2008.683.

Ginkgo biloba for prevention of dementia: a randomized controlled trial

** Front Pharmacol. 2021 Aug 3;12:721216.doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.721216. eCollection 2021.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract Is Comparable With Donepezil in Improving Functional Recovery in Alzheimer's Disease: Results From a Multilevel Characterized Study Based on Clinical Features and Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

** Front Pharmacol. 2020 Feb 21;10:1688.doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01688.

An Updated Review of Randomized Clinical Trials Testing the Improvement of Cognitive Function of Ginkgo Biloba Extract in Healthy People and Alzheimer's Patients