Prateek Goel

6101015
C1
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants
and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism,
herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy. Sometimes the scope of herbal
medicine is extended to include fungi and bee products, as well as minerals, shells and
certain animal parts.
Many plants synthesize substances that are useful to the maintenance of health in
humans and other animals. These include aromatic substances, most of which are
phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Many are secondary
metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated a number estimated to be less
than 10% of the total
In the written record, the study of herbs dates back over 5,000 years to the Sumerians,
who described well-established medicinal uses for such plants as laurel, caraway, and
thyme. The Egyptians of 1000 B.C. are known to have used garlic, opium, castor oil,
coriander, mint, indigo, and other herbs for medicine and the Old Testament also
mentions herb use and cultivation, including mandrake, vetch, caraway, wheat, barley, mentions herb use and cultivation, including mandrake, vetch, caraway, wheat, barley,
and rye.
Plants synthesize a bewildering variety of phytochemicals but most are derivatives of a
few biochemical motifs.
Alkaloids contain a ring with nitrogen. Many alkaloids have dramatic effects on the
central nervous system. Caffeine is an alkaloid that provides a mild lift but the alkaloids
in datura cause severe intoxication and even death.
Phenolics contain phenol rings. The anthocyanins that give grapes their purple color, the
isoflavones, the phytoestrogens from soy and the tannins that give tea its astringency are
phenolics.
Turpenoids are built up from terpene building blocks. Each terpene consists of two Turpenoids are built up from terpene building blocks. Each terpene consists of two
paired isoprenes.
Glycosides consist of a glucose moiety attached to an aglycone. The aglycone is a
molecule that is bioactive
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This incurable,
degenerative and terminal disease initial onset is typically in people over 65 years
of age
The most commonly recognised early symptom is memory loss, such as the
difficulty to remember recently learned facts.
The most commonly recognised early symptom is memory loss, such as the
difficulty to remember recently learned facts.
Disease is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Currently used
treatments offer a small symptomatic benefit; no treatments to delay or halt the
progression of the disease are available yet
Cholinergic hypothesis suggests that AD is due to reduced biosynthesis of the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine
The amyloid hypothesis was proposed in 1991; here amyloid beta (A) deposits
are postulated to be the causative factor in the disease are postulated to be the causative factor in the disease
Tau protein abnormalities initiate the disease cascade
Sometimes referred to as botany's "living fossil", Ginkgo biloba is among the
oldest tree species still in existence today. But this amazing plant is more than
just a botanical oddity. Ginkgo biloba is also one of the most scientifically
studied of all the herbal medicines.
Ginkgo biloba is somewhat unique in herbal medicine. Most of the research on Ginkgo biloba is somewhat unique in herbal medicine. Most of the research on
this ancient herbal medicine has focused not on the use of the raw herb but on
standardized extracts of ginkgo. This has meant that positive research results
have been consistent, repeatable and scientifically credible. Of all the herbs
used in "natural" medicine, Ginkgo biloba is one of the most widely-accepted
by mainstream physicians.
Ginkgo is available as ginkgo leaf, ginkgo leaf extract, and ginkgo seed. Ginkgo leaf
extract is the most commonly used form. Products which use standardized extracts
referred to as EGb 761 should contain 24% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6%
terpenoids. Products which use standardized extracts referred to as LI 1370 should
contain 25% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6% terpenoids. contain 25% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6% terpenoids.
The Plant material is minced and mixed with a certain amount of 60% ethanol and left at
a maximum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius during 10 days .
The mixture is expressed and filtered and ready for use or further preparation
Some commercial preparations are also prepared with dried material
One part of dry material is mixed with 10 parts of ethanol for maceration or percolation One part of dry material is mixed with 10 parts of ethanol for maceration or percolation
After calculation of the amount of ethanol required the mixture is left at a maximum of
20 degrees
After 5 days the tincture is filtered and ready for use or subsequent potentization
Standardized extracts containing 24 - 32% flavonoids (also known as flavone
glycosides or heterosides) and 6 - 12% terpenoids (triterpene lactones)
Capsules
Tablets
Liquid extracts (tinctures, fluid extracts, glycerites) Liquid extracts (tinctures, fluid extracts, glycerites)
Dried leaf for teas
80 to 240 milligrams of a 50:1 standardized leaf extract taken daily by mouth in 2 to
3 divided doses has been used and
Other forms used include tea (bags usually contain 30 milligrams of extract), 3 to 6
milliliters of 40 milligrams per milliliter extract daily in three divided doses, and
"fortified" foods. "fortified" foods.
Ginkgo seeds are potentially toxic and should be avoided. The German ginkgo
product Tebonin, given through veins (IV), was removed from the German market
due to significant side effects.
Dementia : Doses of 120 to 240 milligrams daily in three divided doses have been
studied.
More than 40 components isolated from the ginkgo tree have been identified, but
only two are believed to be responsible for the herb's beneficial effects in humans --
flavonoids and terpenoids. Flavonoids (such as quercetin and rutin) have potent
antioxidant effects. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that flavonoids
protect the nerves, heart muscle, blood vessels, and retina from damage. Terpenoids protect the nerves, heart muscle, blood vessels, and retina from damage. Terpenoids
(such as ginkgolides) improve blood flow by dilating blood vessels and reducing the
stickiness of platelets.
Ginkgo biloba indicates that it is helpful only in those conditions in which impaired
circulation is a factor. Substances in Ginkgo biloba inhibit Platelet Activating Factor
(PAF) in the blood and therefore make blood less sticky. Slippery blood flows better
through arteries that might be partially clogged with cholesterol deposits. There also
seems to be a regulatory effect on the muscle tone of blood vessels by the herb so seems to be a regulatory effect on the muscle tone of blood vessels by the herb so
that the blood has more room in which to flow. It makes sense that if something gets
more circulation, it will work better.
Ginkgo has been found to
(1) Reduce cell membrane lipid peroxidation in experimental spinal cord injury similarly
to methylprednisolone
(2) Reduce bromethalin-induced cerebral lipid peroxidation and edema
(3) Protect brain neurons against oxidative stress induced by peroxidation
(4) Decrease neuronal injury following ischemia or electroconvulsive shock (4) Decrease neuronal injury following ischemia or electroconvulsive shock
(5) Reduce subchronic cold stress effects on receptor desensitization.
The standardized extract EGb 761 is obtained from GB dried leaves and consists
primarily of flavone glycosides and terpene lactones.
The flavonoid fraction is composed of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin
glycosides; the terpenoid fraction of ginkgolides A, B, C, J and bilobalide. Different
constituents account for varying effects of the extract in AD. The terpenoid fraction constituents account for varying effects of the extract in AD. The terpenoid fraction
increases cerebral blood flow (CBF)
ginkgolide A and B act as platelet activating factor (PAF) antagonists .
The constituents responsible for NO production are not known. Antioxidative effects are
displayed by the flavonoid fraction rather than the terpenoid fraction.
Bilobalide increases GABA and prevents neuronal over excitation. EGb 761 decreases
neurofibrillary tangles by a sevenfold up-regulation of neuronal tyrosine/threonine
phosphatase.
An enzyme involved in formation/breakdown of neurofibrillary tangles, in the cortex of
mice administered 36 mg/kg EGb 761
Significant memory and behavioural improvement was seen in mild to moderate AD
patients in placebo controlled trials with EGb 761 (120 mg/day). patients in placebo controlled trials with EGb 761 (120 mg/day).
It showed that brain cells treated with the antioxidant quercetin had significantly less
damage than those treated with vitamin C or not exposed to antioxidants. Like other
antioxidants, quercetin has been associated with an increasing number of potential
health benefits, including protection against Alzheimers Disease
The Brain cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide to simulate the type of oxidative The Brain cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide to simulate the type of oxidative
cell damage that is believed to occur with Alzheimer's. These results were then
compared to brain cells that were similarly exposed to hydrogen peroxide but were
not pre-treated with antioxidants.
Brain cells that were treated with quercetin had significantly less damage to both
cellular proteins and DNA than the cells treated with vitamin C and the cells that
were not exposed to antioxidants. This demonstrates quercetin's stronger protective
effect against neurotoxicity, according to the researchers.
Scientists are not sure of quercetin's mechanism of action, but some suspect it Scientists are not sure of quercetin's mechanism of action, but some suspect it
might work by blocking the action of free radicals, an excess of which are thought
to damage brain cells as well as other cell types over time.
Densitometric Assay
Supercritical Extraction
Gas Chromatography
HPLC HPLC
HPLC- GC
Statistical Analysis
Institute for Nutraceutical Advancement - INA has successfully validated :
Ginkgosides and ginkgolides in Ginkgo biloba .
A four-step development, optimization and validation strategy for high-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of Ginkgo biloba extract
After selecting some controllable parameters and their range to further optimize,
gradient optimization with uniform design was done.
At last, method validation including determination of injection precision, repeatability, At last, method validation including determination of injection precision, repeatability,
and a sample stability test, was performed.
Through this effective and integrated four-step method, a feasible and reliable HPLC
fingerprint to identify and assess the Ginkgo biloba quality can easily be established
A linear gradient elution with acetonitrile/0.1% phosphoric acid (from 14/86 to 30/70,
v/v, in 40 min) as mobile phase, a column temperature of 30 degrees C and a detection
wavelength of 350 nm
The biologically active secondary metabolites of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in
phytopharmaceuticals were analyzed using two simple, rapid, accurate and sensitive
HPLC methods.
The proposed methods were successfully applied in the determination of terpenes and
flavonoids in four phytopharmaceutical preparations. The terpenes; ginkgolide A,
ginkgolide B, and bilobalide were analyzed using RP 18 column with a mobile phase
flavonoids in four phytopharmaceutical preparations. The terpenes; ginkgolide A,
ginkgolide B, and bilobalide were analyzed using RP 18 column with a mobile phase
consisting of water/methanol/isopropanol (72.5:17.5:10, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml min-
1 and UV detection at 220 nm.
The flavonoids; quercetin and kaempferol were analyzed using RP 18 column in a step
gradient elution with acetonitrile and water at pH 3.3 and flow rate of 1.5 ml min-1 with
UV detection at 370 nm.
Fifty-seven articles were identified, Four studies were identified that met all
criteria (Table 2). These 4 studies included patients with mild or moderate
dementia severity. Although 2 of these Studies reported additionally on patients
with vascular dementia, only groups composed solely of patients diagnosed as
having AD were included in the analysis. having AD were included in the analysis.
The 4 studies reported analyzable data for 212 patients treated with ginkgo and 212
with placebo. Individual group sample sizes, as shown in Table 2, ranged from 19 to
104. After appropriate weighting for sample size, the mean effect size of the 4
samples was 0.41 (95% confidence interval, 0.22-0.61). This indicates that the
weighted mean effect size was equivalent to a little less than half of an SD. weighted mean effect size was equivalent to a little less than half of an SD.