Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba belongs to Ginkgoaceae - Ginkgo family.

The English name for this herb is Maidenhair tree.

Warning: Ginkgo is generally well tolerated, with side effects being rare, usually mild, and including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, restlessness, weakness, or skin rashes. Mild headaches lasting for a day or two and mild upset stomach have been reported in a very small percentage of people using GBE. Ginkgo should be discontinued between 36 hours and 14 days before surgery, based on either pharmacokinetics or consensus opinion. Herbal medications that may increase the risk of bleeding if used concurrently with ginkgo include the following: feverfew, garlic, ginseng, dong quai, red clover, and other natural coumarins. Although no studies have been performed to support any restrictions on the use of ginkgo during pregnancy or lactation, it seems prudent not to administer ginkgo in the absence of any data.

Description

Ginkgo biloba. A Ginkgo biloba tree can reach 30 or 40 meters height and a spread of 8 meters. The trunk can become about 3 or 4 meters wide in diameter. It is straight columnar and sparingly branched. Young trees have usually a central trunk, pyramidal in shape, with regular, lateral, ascending, asymmetrical branching . The bark is brown and rough. It fissures rough furrows with the age. The male tree usually has a slim column form and is slightly longer, the female tree has a wider crown and a more spread out form.

Ginkgo biloba's Leaves. They are fan-shaped, leathery and smooth. They are often deeply grooved in the middle of the leaf, producing two distinct lobes, hence the name Ginkgo biloba (two lobes). The leaves have a venation pattern that is open dichotomous; the veins fork in pairs from the base of the leaf, and are not cross-connected. They are bright green during the summer, turning gold before dropping in the fall. However, leaves fall quickly and the fall color show is short.

Pharmacological Actions

The pharmacological actions of Ginkgo biloba are Anti-oxidant , Membrane stabilizer, Neuroprotection.

Indications

The indications of Ginkgo biloba are Tinnitus, Alzheimers Disease, Intermittent Claudication, Vascular dementia, Peripheral claudication, Cerebrovascular disease, Dementia.

Contraindications

None recorded.

Temperament

None recorded.

Occurrence, Taste & Odor

None recorded.

Dosage

Part	Dose	Instructions
Whole Herb	120.000 – 240.000 mg/day	In 2 to 3 divided doses. The dosage for patients who have tinnitus and peripheral vascular disease is no more than 160 mg per day, taken in two or three doses. An initial period of six to 12 weeks is recommended to assess the effectiveness of ginkgo, although results have been seen as early as four weeks.

Available Brands

None recorded.

Compound Preparations

No Compound Preparation information is available for Ginkgo biloba.

Substitutes

No information regarding Ginkgo biloba's substitute is currently available.

Active Constituents

The active constituent of Ginkgo biloba's Leaves is Ginkgolic acids.

Antidotes

No information regarding Ginkgo biloba's antidote is currently available.

Toxicity

Ginkgo biloba (Leaves)

Constituent: Ginkgolic acids

The unprocessed ginkgo leaf contains ginkgolic acids that are toxic.