Ginkgo biloba extract is well known for its health benefits, especially in the brain. It has been shown to improve brain circulation and also has antioxidant properties. A new study published in the journal Stroke has shown that supplementation with a standardized ginkgo extract helped reduce neurological damage in mice following a stroke. It also provides new information regarding the mechanism of action of ginkgo in the brain
The study examined the effects of ginkgo supplementation in two strains of mice – a normal strain, and one lacking a certain important neuroprotective enzyme called Heme Oxygenase (HO). Some mice were given ginkgo extract for seven days and others were not. Following the seventh day of treatment, a stroke was induced in the mice. It was found that normal mice receiving the ginkgo extract had 50.9% less neurological damage and 48.2% smaller areas of damage than normal mice not receiving the extract. The same effect was not observed in the mice lacking the HO enzyme, suggesting that the brain protective actions of ginkgo are connected to the HO enzyme pathway.
The results of this study suggest that there is potential for ginkgo to be used as a preventative or therapeutic agent for strokes. The results also set the stage for human clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of ginkgo as a treatment for strokes in humans.
Saleem S, Zhuang H, Biswal S, Christen Y, Doré S. 2002. Ginkgo Biloba extract neuroprotective action is dependent on Heme Oxygenase 1 in ischemic reperfusion brain injury. Stroke: Published online October 9, 2008.
For more information see Ginkgo Biloba
|
