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Ginkgo biloba

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 56 Accesses

Synonyms

Fossil tree; Ginkgo tree; Japanese silver apricot; Kew tree; Maidenhair tree; Pterophyllus salisburiensis ; Salisburia adiantifolia ; Salisburia macrophylla ; Yinxing

Definition

Ginkgo biloba is originally from Asia and has been utilized as an herbal remedy for thousands of years in the traditional Chinese pharmacopoeia. G. biloba is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Extract from G. biloba leaves is commonly prescribed medicine to improve circulation and cardiovascular health.

Characteristics

Ginkgo, a unique medium-large deciduous tree with no close living relatives, is classified in the division of Ginkgophyta, consisting of the single class Ginkgoopsida, order Ginkgoales, family Ginkgoaceae, genus Ginkgo, and the only one species – G. biloba. Ginkgo, the world’s oldest living tree on earth for 270 million years (the Permian period), was referred to as a living fossil by Charles Darwin in 1859. They spread throughout Laurasia...

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References

  • Adis International (2003) EGb 761: Ginkgo biloba extract, Ginkor. Drugs in R & D 4:188–193

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  • Kleijnen J, Knipschild P (1992) Ginkgo biloba. Lancet 340:1136–1139

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  • McKenna DJ, Jones K, Jones K (2001) Efficacy, safety, and use of ginkgo biloba in clinical and preclinical applications. Altern Ther Health Med 7(70–86):88–90

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  • Pretner E, Amri H, Li W et al (2006) Cancer-related overexpression of the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor and cytostatic anticancer effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761). Anticancer Res 26:9–22

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

    Jane C. J. Chao

Authors
  1. Jane C. J. Chao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jane C. J. Chao .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Chao, J.C.J. (2015). Ginkgo biloba . In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2408-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2408-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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