Ginkgo Leaf Research Articles

Possible new endoscopic finding in patients with achalasia: "Gingko leaf sign".

The diagnosis of achalasia can occasionally be difficult because of the low prevalence of apparent endoscopic abnormal findings, such as dilation and food residue, and lack of "esophageal rosette" in some patients. We have found a new endoscopic finding "Gingko leaf sign", which consists of not being able to see the full extent of the esophageal palisade vessels and a Gingko leaf-shaped morphology of a longitudinal section of the esophagogastric junction at the end of a deep inspiration, in some achalasia patients without "esophageal rosette". The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of "Gingko leaf sign" in these patients. We retrospectively compared the prevalence of "Gingko leaf sign" between 11 achalasia patients without "esophageal rosette" and 22 age-/gender-matched healthy subjects. The diagnoses of achalasia were based on the results of high-resolution manometry. We also investigated the characteristics of the patients with "Gingko leaf sign". All the patients had "Gingko leaf sign", in contrast to none of the healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Four of 11 patients did not require any therapy. Six of seven patients did not relapse after balloon dilatation, but one patient required per-oral endoscopic myotomy 8months after balloon dilatation. All our achalasia patients without "esophageal rosette" had "Gingko leaf sign". It is possibly a useful endoscopic finding in achalasia patients without "esophageal rosette".

Analysis of Volatile Constituents of Ginkgo Leaf

Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae) is one of the oldest trees on earth. The medicinal use of its seeds and leaves has been a tradition for thousands of years. The standardized extract (known as EGb 761) contains several biologically active components, among them are terpenes and flavonoid glycosides that are responsible for the pharmacological activities of Ginkgonis folium. According to European Union herbal monographs (EUHM), the leaves of Ginkgo are recommended for the treatment of dementia, cerebral vascular insufficiency, and disorders of the peripheral circulation. The aim of our work was to analyze volatile constituents of Ginkgo leaf. Leaves of 3 Ginkgo trees were analyzed; 2 of which grow in the Medicinal Plants Garden (young trees A and B) and 1 at the Botanical Garden (old tree C) in Bratislava. The leaves were collected in 2014. The essential oil was isolated and quantified using hydrodistillation according to European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) The volatile constituents of Ginkgonis folium were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). We identified 16 constituents of the leaves of tree A, 18 in tree B, and 14 in tree C. The volatiles of the 3 trees differ in the respective amounts of monoterpenoids, hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and their methyl esters. The following constituents were identified in all of the 3 trees in largest percentage: hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (23.6%, 16.0%, and 27.7%), α-linolenic acid methyl ester (14.8%, 20.7%, and 15.1%), and pentacosane (22.2%, 22.4%, and 21.9%). Other identified compounds include the monoterpenes ( E)- α-ionone and ( E)- β-ionone.

Preparation of biochar microspheres from leaves of several plants by hydrothermal method

In the paper, by means of orthogonal experiment, hydrothermal carbonization method, with the principle of preparation of carbon microspheres from glucose by hydrothermal method as reference and charring three different plants (ginkgo leaf, maple leaf and pine needle), we seek the possibility to carbonize plants into porous carbon with specific morphology and then to use the biochar for negative electrode of lithium ion battery. In process of the research, it was found that biochar microspheres (0.5um-5um) existed in several plant carbon obtained by hydrothermal carbonization, and some special elements (Mg, K, Ca, etc) were doped. Therefore, different materials were studied separately, the reaction temperature and reaction time were changed, and ultrasonic oscillation processing was used to find the best conditions for the preparation of biochar microspheres with specific doped elements, uniform particle size distribution and high yield.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on preservation of “Shatang” Orange

Effect of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on preservation of “Shatang” Orange

Ammonium Nitrate-Assisted Synthesis of Nitrogen/Sulfur-Codoped Hierarchically Porous Carbons Derived from Ginkgo Leaf for Supercapacitors.

Biomass-derived carbons for supercapacitors provide a promising and sustainable strategy to address the worldwide energy and climate change challenges. Here, we have designed and constructed three-dimensional nitrogen/sulfur-codoped hierarchically porous carbons for high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials in a one-step process, in which ginkgo leaf is used as a carbon source and S source and ammonium nitrate (AN) is used as an activating agent and a N source. During the synchronous carbonization and activation process, AN could be decomposed completely into gaseous byproducts and be removed easily without leaving residues after product formation. The as-synthesized ginkgo leaf-derived carbons exhibited a high specific capacitance of 330.5 F g–1 at a current density of 0.5 A g–1 and a capacitance of 252 F g–1 even at a high current density of 10 A g–1 with an excellent capacitance retention of 85.8% after 10 000 cycles in 6 mol L–1 KOH electrolyte. The present study provides an efficient, sustainable, and facile approach to prepare renewable hierarchically porous carbons as advanced electrode materials for energy storage and conversion.

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract Attenuates Atherosclerosis in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic ApoE-/- Mice by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress via Restoration of Autophagy through the mTOR Signaling Pathway.

Background There is a crosstalk between endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and autophagy, and autophagy could attenuate endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis. Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GBE) exerts vascular protection functions. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of autophagy in diabetic atherosclerosis (AS) and the effect of GBE on autophagy and ERS. Methods Network pharmacology was utilized to predict the targets and pathways of the active chemical compounds of Gingko biloba leaf to attenuate AS. ApoE−/− mice were rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal ingestion with streptozotocin combined with a high-fat diet. The diabetic mice were divided into five groups: model group, atorvastatin group, rapamycin group, and low- and high-dose GBE groups. Serum and tissue markers of autophagy or ERS markers, including the protein expression, were examined. Results The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and NF-κB signaling pathways were targeted by the active chemical compounds of GBE to attenuate AS predicted by network pharmacology. GBE reduced the plaque area/lumen area and the plaque lipid deposition area/intimal area and inhibited the expressions of CD68, MMP2, and MMP9. Rapamycin and GBE inhibited the expression of mTOR and SQSTM1/p62 which increased in the aorta of diabetic mice. In addition, GBE reduced the expression of ERS markers in diabetic mice. GBE reduced the serum lipid metabolism levels, blood glucose, and inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion Impaired autophagy and overactive endoplasmic reticulum stress contributed to diabetic atherosclerosis. mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and GBE attenuated diabetic atherosclerosis by inhibiting ERS via restoration of autophagy through inhibition of mTOR.

Characterization, Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Graphene Oxide and Folate Coupled Chitosan Nanocomposites Loading Polyprenol and Fullerene Based Nanoemulsion Against MHCC97H Cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal diseases worldwide. Ginkgo Biloba Leaves polyprenol (GBP) is considered potential efficacy in the treatment of HCC. This study involved oil-in-water type nanoemulsion (NE) loading GBP and Fullerene C60 (C60F) were prepared by dissolving GBP and C60F in NE using inversed phase emulsification (EIP) with ultrasonic-assisted emulsification (UAE) method. Folic acid (FA) coupled Chitosan (CS) and Graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (NCs): FA-CS-GO-NCs were fabricated by ionic cross-linking of positively charged FA-CS-GO solution conjugates and negative charged NE with TPP. We combined these materials for preparing NCs loading GBP and C60F (GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs) based GBP-C60F-NE. GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs in the NE were the mean size was 44.9 nm, PdI was 0.267 and the mean zeta potential was 47.8 mV. And they had good drug loading efficiency, encapsulation efficiency, drug release property and storage stability. In this cytotoxic study, it demonstrated the GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs were greater inhibition capacity on MHCC97H cells compared with GBP-NE, C60F-NE, GBP-C60F-NE, GBP-FA-CS-GO-NCs and C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs. In this genotoxic study, GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs at low C60F concentration showed low genotoxicity on MHCC97H and L02 cells. By comparison, GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs had higher cytotoxicity on MHCC97H than L02 cells. By the cell apoptosis analysis, the results revealed that GBP-C60F-NE and GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs could obviously induce MHCC97H cell apoptosis, especially high concentration GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs had the strongest apoptosis inducing ability. The treatment against MHCC97H cells with moderate C60F concentrations of GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs effectively inhibited the overexpressions of Akt1 and Akt2, and significantly increased the expression of PTEN. Our results suggest that PTEN, Akt1 and Akt2 might play an important role in the aspect of GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs inhibiting against HCC cells. It provides further evidence to speculation that up-regulated PTEN expression and down-regulated Akt1 and Akt2 expression might be one of the important mechanisms for GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs inhibiting HCC cells. All these results suggest that GBP-C60F-FA-CS-GO-NCs effectively inhibited the HCC malignant development and has potentially important value in the HCC treatment.

Antioxidant and antigenotoxic activities of Ginkgo biloba L. leaf extract are retained after in vitro gastrointestinal digestive conditions.

The recognized biological properties of Ginkgo biloba extracts potentiate their utilization as an ingredient for functional foods. However, the digestive conditions can affect the chemical composition of the extracts and consequently their biological properties, which can lead to food safety problems. Thus, the impact of in vitro-simulated upper gastrointestinal tract digestion on the chemical composition and bioactivity of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GBE) was evaluated. Physicochemical conditions of human digestion were simulated in vitro, and its impact on the chemical composition of GBE was investigated by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The persistence of bioactivity was investigated by subjecting GBE and the in vitro digested extract (DGBE) to the same methodology. Antioxidant properties were assessed using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate to measure the intracellular oxidation of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells pre-incubated with GBE or DGBE and exposed to H2O2. Antigenotoxicity was tested by comet assay in HT-29 colon cancer cells pre-incubated with GBE or DGBE and challenged with H2O2. The chemical analysis revealed a considerable change in chemical composition upon digestion. Pre-incubation with GBE or DGBE attenuated the H2O2-imposed intracellular oxidation in wild-type S. pombe cells, unlike the oxidative stress response-affected mutants sty1 and pap1, and decreased H2O2-induced DNA damage in HT-29 cells. The extracts did not induce toxicity in these eukaryotic models. The chemical composition of GBE was affected by in vitro digestion, but the antioxidant and antigenotoxic activities persisted. Therefore, G. biloba extract may be suitable for use as food additive and contribute to a healthy colon.

Comparison of the lead and copper adsorption capacities of plant source materials and their biochars

Lead (Pb) and Cu are the most common pollutants found in industrial effluents which affect ecosystem and human health. To remove Pb and Cu from aquatic system, cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbents are required. Therefore, the study evaluated the adsorption of Pb and Cu by waste plant materials and their biochars. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms were applied to compare the Pb and Cu adsorption capacities using the gingko (Spiraea blumei) leaf (GL), peanut shell (PS), and Metasequoia leaf (ML), and their derived biochars (GB, PB, and MB, respectively). The GB showed a significantly higher Pb adsorption capacity than the other adsorbents. Maximum Pb adsorption by GB was 138.9 mg/g followed by GL (117.6 mg/g). The highest Cu adsorption (59.9 mg/g) was also achieved by GB followed by GL (57.8 mg/g). The carbonates and the phosphate functional groups in the GB and higher affinity of Pb to the functional groups contributed to higher Pb adsorption. The Pb adsorption kinetics on the plant source materials and their biochars followed a pseudo-second order model. The Pb and Cu adsorption capacities, with the exception of the GL, ML, and GB, are better explained by Langmuir-isotherm models. The carbonization did not always lead to better heavy metal adsorption. The Pb and Cu adsorption significantly reduced with carbonization of ML because of disappearance of oxygen containing functional groups. Therefore, appropriate method to prepare metal adsorbent should be selected depending on feedstocks and metal removal mechanisms. The GL is the most-abundant fallen leaf in the streets of the Republic of Korea; therefore, the use of the GL biochar for heavy-metal adsorption will also reduce the cost for waste disposal.

The intervention of ginkgo biloba extract on monocrotaline-induced right ventricular hypertrophy in rats and its mechanism

To study the protective effects of ginkgo biloba extract on the right ventricular hypertrophy. Seventy-two SD male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group(CON), monocrotaline-induced right ventricular hypertrophy group (MCT) and ginkgo biloba extract treated group (EGB) (n=24 in each group). Group MCT and group EGB were intraperitoneally injected with 2%MCT at the dose of 60 mg /kg on the first day. From the second day, group MCT was injected with 2 ml 0.9% sodium chloride, and 60 mg/kg ginkgo leaf extract was administered to the stomach in group EGB. The control group was injected with 2 ml 0.9% sodium chloride on the first day. After 3 weeks, in each group,cardiac hemodynamic changes were measured, heart weight index was calculated, and myocardial pathological changes were observed by HE staining. The expression of TRPC6 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time -PCR) and Western blot. Compared with the control group, the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was increased significantly in the MCT group(P＜0.01), the maximum or decline rate of descent (RV ±dp/dtmax) of the right ventricle pressure was increased significantly(P＜0.01), while the EGB group had the same trend as all the indexes in the group MCT, but the amplitude of all indicators in group EGB were decreased significantly than those of group MCT(P＜0.01), and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVMI) in group EGB was significantly lower than that in group MCT(P＜0.01).Group MCT showed typical myocardial hypertrophy performance by HE staining, and the right ventricular myocytes in group EGB were significantly improved than that in group MCT, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of TRPC6 in the right ventricle of group MCT and group EGB were increased(P＜0.01), while the EGB group was significantly lower than that of the MCT group(P＜0.01). Ginkgo biloba extract may inhibit the signal pathway of CaN / NFAT in cardiac myocytes by reducing the expression of TRPC6 protein, and then play an early protective effect on myocardial hypertrophy.

Ginkgo leaf extract and dipyridamole injection as adjuvant treatment for acute cerebral infarction: Protocol for systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background:Acute cerebral infarction (ACI) is one of the most commonly seen cerebral vascular disease and the current therapy options are not satisfied. Ginkgo leaf extract and dipyridamole injection (GDI) is widely used as adjuvant therapy for ACI. However, there is no systemic review and meta-analysis published regarding the efficacy and safety of GDI. Herein, we describe the protocol of a proposed study aims to systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of GDI in ACI patients.Methods:Five electronic databases (Medline, EMBase, Cochrane database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database) will be searched up to February 28, 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meet the eligibility criteria will be identified and included. Data synthesis will be run using RevMan software after the data extraction and risk of bias assessment of included studies. The primary outcomes of this study are effective rate and adverse event rate.Results:This study will provide a high-quality synthesis of RCTs on the efficacy and safety of GDI as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of ACI.Conclusion:This systemic review and meta-analysis will provide high quality evidence to evaluate GDI as adjuvant therapy in patients with ACI.Registration: PEROSPERO CRD42018107112

Biobased derived nanoporous carbon for hydrogen isotope separation

Nuclear fusion as a clean energy source is an approach proposed to solve the expected global energy crisis. Deuterium an isotope of hydrogen, is required as fuel but its conventional separation process is highly energy-intensive. However, selective separation of D2 from H2 gas mixtures using nanoporous materials is a promising solution. To this end, cost-effective nanoporous carbon from agricultural waste has been developed (peanut shell, ginkgo leaf, and metasequoia leaf). Porosity, morphology, and compositional properties of the developed carbon were investigated and compared with commercial activated carbon. The developed carbon achieved a specific surface area of 692 m2/g and a specific pore volume of 0.387 cm3/g with narrow pore size distribution. Hydrogen and deuterium adsorption isotherms were studied at various temperatures (25 K, 40 K, 60 K, and 77 K) for all carbons. D2/H2 selectivity using the ideal adsorption solution theory of equimolar composition and pressures of D2 and H2 was carried out. The D2/H2 selectivity in ginkgo leaf-derived carbon achieved a selectivity value of 4.1 at 25 K, higher than other biomass-derived carbons and commercial activated carbon. Additionally, the heat of adsorption of D2 and H2 for all carbons was evaluated. A large difference between these values was observed in ginkgo leaf-derived carbon. This difference is three times larger than commercial activated carbon, leading to a higher rate of interaction between D2 and carbon than that between H2 and carbon due to rich Ca content in carbon. Thus, metal residues in biomass carbon seem to play a significant role in selective separation of D2 over H2.

Effects of notoginseng and ginkgo leaf tablets on cardiac function and serum inflammatory factors in hypoxia deacclimatized rats and its mechanism

To study the effects of notoginseng, gingko leaf and rhodiola on cardiac functions and the serum inflammatory factors interleukin-6,interleukin-10, and TNF-α of rats with hypoxia deacclimatization, to explore the mechanism of hypoxia detoxification. Forty SD rats were randomly divided into notoginseng group(n=10), gingko leaf group(n=10), rhodiola group(n=10) and high altitude control group(n=10) after fed in a hypobaric hypoxia chamber(simulated altitude of 5 000 m) for 3 month, while 10 rats fed at normal pressure and oxygen environment for 3 month were used as the plain control group. Rats in notoginseng group, gingko leaf group and rhodiola group were treated with notoginseng, gingko leaf tablets or rhodiola suspension through intragastric administration (200 mg/kg,twice a day, for 10 days). After the rats got intraperitoneal anesthesia with 10% urethane, 5 min pulmonary artery pressure curve were traced continuously while pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). Left and right ventricular systolic pressure (VSP) and ventricular diastolic pressure (VEDP), the hemodynamic parameters were detected through a multi-channel physiological recorder. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricular end-diastolic pressure (RVEDP), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), left vent-ricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP),IL-6,and IL-10 were higher in notoginseng group, gingko leafgroup, rhodiola group and high altitude control group than those in plain control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The contents of MDA and TNF-α were higher while the level of SOD was lower in rhodiola group and high altitude control group than those in plain control group(P＜0.01). The contents of MDA and TNF-α were lower while the level of SOD was higher in notoginseng group, gingko leaf group and rhodiola group than those in high altitude control group(P＜0.01). The levels of RV,RVHI,RVSP,RVEDP,LVSP,LVEDP,IL-10 and TNF-α were statistically changed in notoginseng group than those in gingko leaf group and rhodiola group(P＜0.05orP＜0.01). Notoginseng, gingkoleaf and rhodiola can enhance antioxidant capacity of body and improve ventricular functions and Notoginseng, gingko leaf and rhodiola can effectively enhance the functions of ventricular and hypoxia tolerance and inhibit the expressions of inflammatory factors in rats during the hypoxia deacclimatization.

Facile Synthesis of In Situ Graphitic-N Doped Porous Carbon Derived from Ginkgo Leaf for Fast Capacitive Deionization

The ginkgo leaf-derived graphitic-N-doped porous carbon was fabricated by one-step carbonization in the presence of KOH agent. The morphology, surface functional groups, element state and porous structure of the obtained carbon were investigated systematically. Compared with the carbon samples by ginkgo-leaf carbonization and KOH post-activation (two-step), the one-step activated porous carbon exhibits high graphitic-N content and good electric conductivity. The conductive-agent-free carbon sheet was made successfully and the resultant carbon electrode possesses good conductivity and excellent electrochemical properties, with the specific capacitance of 176.1 F g−1. When being applied for capacitive deionization, the desalination amount of the electrode arrived at 16.5 mg g−1. Meanwhile, the salt adsorption rate is very rapid, with the average salt adsorption rate reaching 1.5 mg g−1 min−1. This work provides an easy and environmentally benign route for the synthesis of the conductive carbon from natural raw materials for highly efficient capacitive deionization.

Analysis of Formaldehyde Removal Performance of Gingko Leaf for Indoor air Quality Improvement

Analysis of Formaldehyde Removal Performance of Gingko Leaf for Indoor air Quality Improvement

Effects of Ginkgo leaf tablets on the pharmacokinetics of atovastatin in rats

Context: Ginkgo leaf tablets (GLT), an effective traditional Chinese multi-herbal formula, are often combined with atorvastatin calcium (AC) for treating coronary heart disease in clinic.Objective: This study investigated the effects of GLT on the pharmacokinetics of AC and the potential mechanism.Materials and methods: The pharmacokinetics of AC (oral administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg) with or without pre-treatment of GLT (oral administered at a dose of 80 mg/kg/day for 10 days) were investigated in male Sprague–Dawley rats. The effects of GLT on the metabolic stability of AC were also investigated using rat liver microsome incubation systems.Results: The results indicated that the Cmax increased from 36.84 ± 4.21 to 48.68 ± 6.35 ng/mL, and the AUC(0-t) increased from 135.82 ± 21.05 to 77.28 ± 12.92 ng h/mL, and t1/2 also increased from 2.62 ± 0.31 to 3.32 ± 0.57 h when GLT and AC were co-administered. The metabolic stability of AC was also increased (48.2 ± 6.7 vs. 36.7 ± 5.3 min) with the pre-treatment of GLT.Discussion: This study indicated that the main components in GLT could accelerate the metabolism of AC in rat liver microsomes and change the pharmacokinetic behaviours of AC. So these results showed that the herb-drug interaction between GLT and AC might occur, and the clinical efficacy could increase when they were co-administered. Therefore, the clinical dose of AC should be decreased when GLT and AC are co-administered.

In vitro antioxidant and immunostimulating activities of polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba leaves

Ginkgo biloba leaves (GBLs) are used as herbal dietary supplements and medicine worldwide. In this study, crude GBL polysaccharides (GBPSs) were extracted and further purified on a DEAE (diethylaminoethanol) Sepharose Fast Flow column to obtain GBPS-2 and GBPS-3. The molecular weights of GBPS-2 and GBPS-3 were 672 and 723 kDa, respectively. GBPS-2 and GBPS-3 were typical acidic heteropolysaccharides, composed of mannose (Man), rhamnose (Rha), glucuronic acid (GlcA), galacturonic acid (GalA), glucose (Glc), galactose (Gal), and arabinose (Ara) (molar ratio: 0.08:0.12:0.16:0.06:0.11:1.00:0.32) and Man, Rha, GlcA, GalA, Gal, and Ara (molar ratio: 0.92:1.00:0.83:0.11:0.42:0.23), respectively. GBPS-2 and GBPS-3 exhibited limited scavenging abilities for the hydroxyl and 2,2‑diphenyl‑1‑picrylhydrazyl radicals as well as noticeable scavenging effects on superoxide radicals and 2,2′‑azino‑bis(3‑ethylbenzothiazoline‑6‑sulphonic acid) radicals. Furthermore, GBPS-2 and GBPS-3 significantly increased the phagocytosis of macrophages and promoted the production of NO, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6. Thus, GBPS-2 and GBPS-3 exhibit potential application as functional food supplements.

Increasing sophistication in adulteration of commercial Ginkgo biloba leaf products: Detection using existing methods of analysis of ginkgoflavone glycosides

Ginkgo biloba Quality Control Decision Tree .

Detection of adulterants in dietary supplements with Ginkgo biloba extract by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and multivariate methods PLS-DA and PCA.

The infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sampling coupled with chemometric methods has been applied to non-destructive detection of adulterants in dietary supplements containing Ginkgo biloba extract. The sample set comprised the spectra of six drugs and sixteen dietary supplements with ginkgo leaf extract. Spectral data (900-1800 cm-1) were analyzed using multivariate partial least squares regression combined with a discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The second derivative of spectra followed by mean centering was used as pre-processing method. Three models were constructed and validated for detection of potential adulterants: kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin. The iPLS-DA classification models achieved about 87.5%, 93,7%, and 87,5% of correct classification for adulteration with kaempferol, quercetin and rutin, respectively. The results obtained from classification models were verified by chromatographic fingerprints of unhydrolyzed sample extracts. Two-trace two-dimensional asynchronous correlation maps were constructed from pairs of spectra (each dietary supplement spectrum vs. averaged spectrum of drugs) and then analyzed by multiway PCA which revealed good discrimination between samples.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on cerebral cortex amino acid levels in cerebral ischemia model rats

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on amino acid levels in the cerebral cortex of cerebral ischemia model rats induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). METHODSA rat model of cerebral ischemia was established by MCAO. Male rats were divided into a negative control group (Control), a sham-operated group (Sham), an ischemic group (MCAO), and an ischemic group treated with Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (MCAO_D). All groups were divided into two subgroups with occlusion times of 12 and 24 h, respectively. The levels of 18 endogenous amino acids in the cerebral cortex were quantified by triple quadrupole-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTSCompared with the MCAO group, behavioral performance, neurological deficit score, and cerebral infarct volume were significantly improved in the MCAO_D group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the sham group, the levels of 17 amino acids in the cerebral cortex were markedly changed in the MCAO group. The levels of Alanine (Ala), Isoleucine (Ile), Glutamic acid (Glu), Serine (Ser), Valine (Val), Phenylalanine (Phe), Proline (Pro), Threonine (Thr), Lysine (Lys), Tyrosine (Tyr), Hydroxyproline (Hyp), Arginine (Arg), Leucine (Leu), Tryptophan (Trp), and Glycine (Gly) were increased (P < 0.001, P < 0.05), while levels of Gln and Tau were decreased (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). Compared with the MCAO group, Ginkgo biloba extract treatment in the MCAO_D group significantly down-regulated the levels of 11 amino acids, especially those of Arg, Thr, and Ser in 12 or 24 h. CONCLUSIONInjection of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract has a therapeutic effect on model rats with MCAO-induced cerebral ischemia by acting on amino acids in the cerebral cortex. This effect might be associated with the regulation of amino acid metabolism in the cerebral cortex.