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FTIR Assessment of the Effect of Ginkgo biloba Leave Extract (EGb 761) on Mammalian Retina

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Abstract

Ginkgo biloba extract has been therapeutically used for several decades to increase peripheral and cerebral blood flow as well as for the treatment of dementia. The extract contains multiple compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids that are thought to contribute to its neuroprotective and vasotropic effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged administration of EGb 761, up to 10 weeks, on mammalian retina using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two main groups were involved in this study: the normal group (n = 10); and EGb-administrated group (n = 50) that received—orally—a dose of 40 mg/kg/day EGb 761. The results demonstrated that EGb administration was associated with different beneficial effects on the retinal constituents especially the underlying amide I protein secondary structure components as well as the NH-OH region. It concluded that the optimum daily administration period of EGb (40 mg/kg) for ophthalmic applications that targeting the retina ranges from 5 to 8 weeks.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biophysics and Laser Science Unit, Research Institute of Ophthalmology, Giza, Egypt

    Eman M. Gamal, Eman M. Aly & Sherif S. Mahmoud

  2. Biophysics Branch, Physics department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    Mona S. Talaat & Abdel Sattar M. Sallam

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  1. Eman M. Gamal
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  2. Eman M. Aly
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  3. Sherif S. Mahmoud
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  4. Mona S. Talaat
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  5. Abdel Sattar M. Sallam
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Correspondence to Sherif S. Mahmoud.

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Gamal, E.M., Aly, E.M., Mahmoud, S.S. et al. FTIR Assessment of the Effect of Ginkgo biloba Leave Extract (EGb 761) on Mammalian Retina. Cell Biochem Biophys 61, 169–177 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12013-011-9173-9

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