Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Ginkgo biloba L.: Relationship with Urushiol

Summary

A Ginkgo biloba L. fruit extract was prepared and purified. Three groups of guinea pigs were sensitized to the crude extract, anacardic acids and cardanols respectively, using Freund’s complete adjuvant test (FCAT) and the fourth group to urushiol by the epicutaneous route. Each group was tested to the primary sensitizer and to the different main aromatic compounds isolated from Ginkgo fruits. Anacardic acids were found to be good sensitizers, while cardanols failed to induce allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). No cross reactions were observed among the compounds tested.