Ginkgo biloba 銀 杏 Yín xìng  Ginkgo  Family: Ginkgoaceae     

 白 果 Bái guǒ  The seed with the outer spermoderm removed   
Nature- neutral   FLAVOR: Acrid, astringent, bitter, pleasant, harsh, sweet     CHANNEL: Lung     TOXICITY: Slightly toxic
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Expectorants, antitussive, antiasthmatics
1. Exerts an astringent affect on Lung Qi. Astringe the Lungs Energy,[1] and relieve dyspnea. Stops coughing and asthma.[1]
2. Clear away turbid urine and decrease frequency of micturition. Relieve enuresis.
3. Stabilises spermatogenesis.[1] Stops leukorrhea.[1]
INDICATIONS
1. Lung deficiency- Dyspnea and cough. Pulmonary tuberculosis.[1] Asthma and cough due to Lung Deficiency.
2. Leukorrhagia.[1,2,3]
3. White and turbid urine. Frequent micturition.[1] Seminal emissions.[1] Enuresis.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Crude seed or large dosage may cause poisoning which manifests as vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, coma, somnolence, convulsion, fever, dyspnea, cyanosis etc, or even death. For moderate toxicosis, decoction of 30 g of Ginkgo outer spermoderm or 60 g of Glycyrrhiza (Licorice) or 0.3 g of Moschus (Musk Deer secretion) may be used.[3]
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS:  Decoction 6-9 g.[3] It should be decocted for a longer time. Decoction of seeds, seedcoat or leaves are used medicinally 3-9 g each time. Seeds may be pan fried for eating.[1]
Ripe seed 4.5-9 g.[2]
银 杏 叶 Yín xìng yè  Ginkgo leaf    
Nature- neutral    FLAVOR: Sweet bitter, harsh
FUNCTIONS
1. Constrict Lungs, calm down asthma, relieve pain.[2]
INDICATIONS
1. Cough, asthma, coronary Heart disease, angina pectoris.[2]
PREPARATIONS:  Decoction. Dry leaf   9-15 g.[2]
HABITAT: Grows on rich sandy soil.
DESCRIPTION: Large deciduous tree. Tree trunk erect, forming a dense crown when old. Bark; grey, deeply cracked. Branches long and short. Leaves on long branches single, on short branches clustered. Leaves; up to 6 cm long and 8 cm wide, fan-shaped, bi-parted at apex, bases cuneate, upper margins undulate or irregularly shallow-parted, both surfaces yellowish-green, containing numerous parallel veins. Flowers; in summer. Fruit seeds are drupe, obovate or ellipsoid. 
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


Constituents.
Research.

The ginkolides- particularly ginkolide B, is involved in allergic inflammation, anaphylactic shock and asthma.[1,2,3] Also effective in treating asthma in children.[4] The extract was shown to protect normal healthy males against hypoxia.[5]
The flavonoid extract is used to improve circulation in the brain and to treat hemorrhoids.
Ginkgo extract improved the mental performance in geriatric patients where this was impaired, but had no effect mentally on normal subjects,[6] thus substantiating its use in cerebral insufficiency.
References
[1] Braquet, P. and Godfroid, J. J. (1986) Trends Pharm. Sci. 7, 397
[2] Braquet, P. et al. (1985) Lancet i, 1501
[3] Chung, K. F. et al. (1987) Lancet i, 248
[4] Reuse-Bourgain, M. (1986). 6th Int. Conf. Prostaglandins and Related Compounds. Florence, Italy. June 3rd-6th. Pub. Fondzione Giovanni Lorenzini
[5] Schafflor, K. and Reeh, P. W. (1985) Arzneim. Forsch. 35II (8), 1283
[6] Gessner, B. et al. (1985) Arzneim. Forsch. 35II, (9), 1459

Ginkgo biloba Extract Modulates the Retroperitoneal Fat Depot Proteome and Reduces Oxidative Stress in Diet-Induced Obese Rats.
Hirata BKS, Pedroso AP, Machado MMF, Neto NIP, Perestrelo BO, de Sá RDCC, Alonso-Vale MIC, Nogueira FN, Oyama LM, Ribeiro EB, Tashima AK, Telles MM.
Abstract
The rapid increase in the number of individuals with obesity, over the past four decades, is triggered by a number of complex interactions among factors. Despite the plethora of treatments available, side effects are commonly observed and, in this context, herbal medicines have been employed as an alternative form of therapy. Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) has been described as a promising new pharmacological approach to treat obesity. In order to better comprehend the mechanisms involved with this potential effect, the present study evaluated the effects of GbE treatment on diet-induced obese rats, focusing on the proteome and the oxidative stress defense system of visceral adipose tissue. After 14 days treatment, GbE significantly modulated 25 proteins. Retroperitoneal adipose tissue of treated animals exhibited higher amounts of proteins associated with adipogenesis (decorin), carbon metabolism and mitochondrial function (citrate synthase), and a concomitant reduction in adipocyte hypertrophy. In parallel, GbE down-regulated proteins involved in oxidative stress (peroxiredoxin) and the inflammatory response (complement C3, mast cell protease 1, and Ig gamma-2B chain C region). Moreover, also related to oxidative stress defense, GbE stimulated catalase activity, reduced malondialdehyde levels (lipid peroxidation indicator), and increased lactoylglutathione lyase levels. It was concluded that GbE acts as an antioxidant agent, and improved the proteome profile and oxidative stress response in the adipose tissue of diet-induced obese rats.
Front Pharmacol. 2019 Jun 14;10:686. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00686. eCollection 2019.
PMID: 31258482 PMCID: PMC6587378 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00686 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ginkgolide B promotes osteoblast differentiation via activation of canonical Wnt signalling and alleviates osteoporosis through a bone anabolic way.
Zhu B, Xue F, Zhang C, Li G.
Abstract
Osteoporosis has become a worldwide problem as the population ages. Although many advances have been made in the treatment of osteoporosis in the past few years, the outcome are sometimes disturbing because of the adverse effects of these treatments. Further studies are still needed to identify novel alternate agents to improve the therapeutic effect. Ginkgolide B (GB), a derivative of Ginkgo biloba leaves, has numerous pharmacological effects, including anticancer and anti-inflammation activities. However, the effect of GB on the regulation of osteoblast activity and bone formation effect has not yet been investigated. In this study, we showed the in vitro and in vivo effects of GB on osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. We found that GB promotes osteoblast differentiation of Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) and MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro in a Wnt/ß-catenin-dependent manner. In an in vivo study, we constructed a cranial defect model in rats and treated with GB. Histomorphometric and histological analyses confirmed that the usage of GB significantly promotes bone formation. Further study on ovariectomy (OVX) rats demonstrated that GB is capable of alleviating ovariectomy-induced bone loss by enhancing osteoblast activity. Our findings indicate that GB is a potential therapeutic agent of osteoporosis through an anabolic way in bone.
PMID: 31225702 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14503 J Cell Mol Med. 2019 Jun 21. doi: 10.1111/jcmm.14503. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov