Pharmacodynamic and Clinical Effects of Ginkgo Biloba Extract EGb 761 and Its Phytochemical Components in Alzheimer’s Disease
Issue title: Therapeutic Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease: Where Are We Now?
Guest editors: Paula I. Moreira, Jesus Avila, Daniela Galimberti, Miguel A. Pappolla, Germán Plascencia-Villa, Aaron A. Sorensen, Xiongwei Zhu and George Perry
Affiliations: [a]
Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona-Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| [b]
Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: Xavier Morató, Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona-Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, C/Gran Via de Carles III, 85, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Tel.: +34/934304720; E-mail: xmorato@fundacioace.org.
Abstract: Extracts made from plants are complex mixtures of substances with varying compositions depending on the plant material and method of manufacture. This complexity makes it difficult for scientists and clinicians to interpret findings from pharmacological and clinical research. We performed a narrative review summarizing information on ginkgo biloba leaf extract, its composition, pharmacological data and clinical evidence supporting its administration for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Medicinal products containing ginkgo biloba leaf extract which are manufactured in compliance with the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia are approved as medicinal products for the treatment of dementia and related conditions by drug regulatory agencies in Europe, Asia and South America. As multicomponent mixtures, they may affect various targets in the pathogenesis of AD, the most common form of dementia. Pharmacodynamic studies demonstrate the effects of EGb 761 and individual constituents on various pathophysiological features of experimentally induced cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration that could contribute to its clinical efficacy. The safety and efficacy in the treatment of AD and cognitive decline has been studied in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Most of the studies that investigate the effects of ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) used the special extract EGb 761, which makes it the best-researched plant preparation worldwide. It is therefore the only herbal alternative to standard-of-care anti-dementia drugs. However, the mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated yet, and the clinical studies in AD show heterogeneity.
