Medicinal Use Of Ginkgo

Ginkgo is popularly known as living fossils. It is also known by other names like Fossil tree, Kew Tree and Silver Apricot. Ginkgo trees are in a position to live long for thousands of years. Historically, medicinal use of Ginkgo was documented in 2600 BC. for the treatment of bronchial-asthma and bronchitis. The botanical name of ginkgo is Ginkgo biloba Linn. and it is a member of family Ginkgoaceae. Ginkgo although not described in Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia is major herbal drug of western herbal medicine.

Ginkgo biloba is found in a wild state in China only. Now it is cultivated across the globe. The leaves of Ginkgo are used to prepare standardized extracts. Chemically it contains flavonoids (isorhamnetin, kaempferol), bioflavonoids (5-methoxybilobetin, amentoflavone, bilobetin, ginkgetin, isoginkgetin, sciadopitysin), diterpenes: ginkgolide A, B, C, J, M. Therapeutics

Cerebral insufficiency,
Difficulty
Based on the observations statistically no significance difference was observed in the treatment and side-effects.
Raynaunld’s disease
A trial that compared dosages of 120 mg and 240 mg of ginkgo demonstrated a substantial therapeutic benefit on pain free walking distance with the higher dosage (Sikora, R., Sohn, M.H., Engelke, B. et al. 1998). Two placebo controlled trials, with a total of 190 patients, showed improved walking distance and decreased pain in patients with peripheral vascular disease.
Schizophernia
In a study fifty-four patients with chronic refractory schizophrenia, twenty-seven were treated with haloperidol plus Ginkgo biloba, and the rest received haloperidol plus placebo. Based on the observations it was concluded that Ginkgo biloba may enhance the efficacy of haloperidol on schizophrenia, especially on positive symptoms.