Folia Medica (Apr 2021)

An experimental study on phytochemical composition and memory enhancing effect of Ginkgo biloba seed extract

  • Teodora Tomova,
  • Nina Doncheva,
  • Anita Mihaylova,
  • Ilia Kostadinov,
  • Lyudmil Peychev,
  • Mariana Argirova

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/folmed.63.e53060
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 63, no. 2
pp. 203 – 212

Abstract

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Introduction: The Ginkgo biloba L. tree is considered as one of the oldest species on Earth. It is known as a “living fossil” dating back approximately 200 million years. Both the leaves and seeds of this tree have been used for millennia in traditional Chinese medicine.Aim: To study the phytochemical profile of Gingko biloba seed extract (GBSE) and its memory enhancing effects.Materials and methods: Liquid chromatography with mass detection (LC-MS) was performed for phytochemical analyses of the extracts. For the in vivo experiments, male Wistar rats were divided randomly into 5 groups (n=8): saline; piracetam;  GBSE 50; 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w. Y-maze, T-maze, step-down passive avoidance and novel object recognition test (NORT) were performed. The observed parameters were: percentage of spontaneous alternations (% SA), working memory index, latency of reaction and recognition index, respectively. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 19.Results: LC-MS analysis showed the presence of the flavonoids quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin (as aglycones), the ginkgolides A, B, C, J, and bilobalide. In Y-maze task, the groups treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg of GBSE significantly increased the % SA during the memory test compared to saline (p<0.05). In T-maze test, the three experimental groups with GBSE significantly increased the working memory index in comparison with that of the control group (p<0.05). In step-down test, the animals receiving 100 mg/kg b.w. GBSE, notably increased the latency during both retention tests (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). In NORT, only the animals with the middle dose of GBSE ameliorated the recognition index when compared to saline (p<0.05).Conclusions: GBSE enhances spatial working memory, recognition memory, and short- and long-term recall in naïve rats due to the synergic effects of detected flavonoids and terpene lactones on brain functions. The brain structures involved are probably the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

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