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Review
. 2019 Jul;16(3):666-674.
doi: 10.1007/s13311-019-00767-8.

Neuroprotective and Antioxidant Effect of Ginkgo biloba Extract Against AD and Other Neurological Disorders

Sandeep Kumar Singh  1 , Saurabh Srivastav  2 , Rudolph J Castellani  3 , Germán Plascencia-Villa  4 , George Perry  5
Affiliations
Review

Neuroprotective and Antioxidant Effect of Ginkgo biloba Extract Against AD and Other Neurological Disorders

Sandeep Kumar Singh et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common progressive human neurodegenerative disorder affecting elderly population worldwide. Hence, prevention of AD has been a priority of AD research worldwide. Based on understanding of disease mechanism, different therapeutic strategies involving synthetic and herbal approaches are being used against AD. Among the herbal extract, Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is one of the most investigated herbal remedy for cognitive disorders and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Standardized extract of Ginkgo biloba is a popular dietary supplement taken by the elderly population to improve memory and age-related loss of cognitive function. Nevertheless, its efficacy in the prevention and treatment of dementia remains controversial. Specifically, the added effects of GBE in subjects already receiving "conventional" anti-dementia treatments have been to date very scarcely investigated. This review summarizes recent advancements in our understanding of the potential use of Ginkgo biloba extract in the prevention of AD including its antioxidant property. A better understanding of the mechanisms of action of GBE against AD will be important for designing therapeutic strategies, for basic understanding of the underlying neurodegenerative processes, and for a better understanding of the effectiveness and complexity of this herbal medicine.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Antioxidant; Dietary supplement; Ginkgo biloba extract; Herbal compounds; Neurodegenerative disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Pictorial illustrations of the active components present in Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). Note the multiple classes of bioactive agents
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic chart showing various active components found in GBE. The wide-raging activities found in GBE make a single mechanism of action difficult and rather argue for pleotropic effects
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
GBE has an array of activities relevant to neurological functions. The range of activities underlies the pleotropic effects of GBE
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Pictorial illustration of Aβ-induced damage through metal dyshomeostasis, redox imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction which finally leads to neuronal apoptosis, and GBE role in its alleviation. Upward arrows represent upregulation. Downward arrows represent downregulation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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