CULTIVATION OF GINKGO BILOBA L. ON THREE CONTINENTS

Abstract

Pharmaceutical products for the treatment of dementia based on Ginkgo biloba L. leaves represent the core business of the Dr. Willmar Schwabe group of pharmaceutical companies. Together with the French partner Beaufour – IPSEN, the group established ginkgo plantations in the US, France and China to secure a constant supply of high quality raw material. Ginkgo thrives in subtropical climates on acid, sandy and well-drained soils. The plants are cultivated in rows and are kept weed free throughout the year. During the winter plants are cut back and subsoiling is done in the inter-rows. Depending on local climatic conditions, green Gingko leaves are harvested in July (US), August (China) or September/October (France). Leaves are stripped off the plants manually (China) or mechanically using modified cotton pickers (US and France). In a dehydration plant, fresh leaves are dried in industrial propane heated drum dryers and packed into bales. Quality management is secured by applying Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) regulations all along the production process. Plantations in France and the US are fully owned and managed by Dr. Willmar Schwabe and Beaufour – IPSEN partner companies. Initial fields were established 22 years ago and are still producing high quality raw material inspite of being stripped of leaves and cut back on a yearly basis. Two Chinese ginkgo companies were set up in the mid 90’s as joint ventures with the Government of China where ginkgo leaves are produced by thousands of small-scale farmers. These joint venture companies are responsible for buying, drying, packaging and shipping of all goods. The companies are running successfully and the partners involved are gaining valuable cross-cultural experience. INTRODUCTION Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, founded in 1866 in Leipzig, is one of the oldest companies in Europe. As specialists for phytopharmaceuticals, this group of companies is today one of the leading manufacturers of plant-based medicines worldwide. Preparations based on ginkgo leaves are the company’s major business. On one of his numerous medicinal-plant expeditions, Dr. Willmar Schwabe came across the ginkgo tree and its pharmaceutically interesting leaves. As a result of subsequent research and development activities the first ginkgo preparation “Tebonin” was released in 1965. Indications for medicines containing the standardized ginkgo extract EGb 761® (Drieux, 2000) are disturbances in cerebral performance due to organic brain syndrome such as occur in Alzheimer’s disease, e.g. deficient memory, disturbances of concentration, depressive mood, dizziness, tinnitus and headaches (Bauer, 1996). At the end of the seventies, a continuously increasing demand for raw material led to the decision to establish the company’s own plantations in France and the USA for the production of ginkgo leaves together with the French partner “Beaufour-IPSEN”. In 1995 cultivation activities further expanded with the foundation of two joint-venture companies in China (Table 1). Long-standing research into the biochemistry of ginkgo showed that relevant constituents are predominantly produced in the roots where they are translocated to the leaves. The extent of production depends on plant age. Cell cultures proved to be unsuitable for in vitro production of relevant terpenes (Balz, 1999). Proc. WOCMAP III, Vol 2: Conservation Cultivation & Sustainable Use of MAPs Eds.: A. Jatisatienr, T. Paratasilpin, S. Elliott, V. Anusarnsunthorn, D. Wedge, L.E. Craker and Z.E. Gardner Acta Hort. 676, ISHS 2005