Ancient ginkgo tree extract gets high-tech medical delivery upgrade
He M, Zhao H, Liu M, Wang Y
Medicinal Plants
The ginkgo tree lining your city street or campus quad, easily spotted by its fan-shaped leaves and cold hardiness, is quietly the raw material for one of the most researched botanical medicines on the planet.
Ginkgo biloba is a tree species so old it's been around for over 200 million years, and its leaves have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. This review pulls together the newest science on how to extract ginkgo's beneficial compounds more sustainably, how those compounds work inside our cells, and how new delivery methods like tiny fat-based capsules could help the medicine work better while reducing side effects from naturally occurring toxic compounds in the plant.
Key Findings
Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) offer a tunable, greener alternative to traditional chemical extraction methods for ginkgo's bioactive compounds
GBE affects cellular health at the organelle level, influencing mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy simultaneously
Nano-delivery systems like liposomal and chitosan-coated carriers improve bioavailability of key compounds such as quercetin, while enzymatic degradation methods help remove toxic ginkgolic acids
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists reviewed the latest research on Ginkgo biloba, the ancient tree whose leaf extract is widely used for memory and circulation support, finding new eco-friendly extraction methods and nanoparticle delivery systems that could make its medicinal compounds safer and more effective for treating cognitive and heart conditions.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Advanced extraction to targeted delivery: A holistic review of technological innovations and therapeutic mechanisms of Ginkgo biloba extract.
Ginkgo biloba L., a 'living fossil' with an evolutionary history spanning over 200 million years, occupies a prominent place in traditional medicine systems. Historical records, including the Chine...
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Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo, also known as the maidenhair tree, and often misspelled "gingko" is a species of gymnosperm tree native to East Asia. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils similar to the living spec...