Efficacy and safety of <em>Ginkgo biloba</em> extract as an &ldquo;add-on&rdquo; treatment to metformin for patients with metabolic syndrome: a pilot clinical study

Abstract

Background and aimGinkgo biloba (GKB) extract has shown to be beneficial in experimental models of metabolic and inflammatory disorders such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MTS). The objective of this pilot clinical study was to evaluate the effects of GKB extract as an “add-on” treatment with metformin (Met) in MTS patients.Patients and methodsWe performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical study in subjects with MTS. Forty patients completed the 90-day clinical trial and were randomly allocated to administer either GKB extract (120 mg capsule/day) or placebo (120 mg starch/day) as an add-on treatment with their currently used doses of Met for 90 days. During the study, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), serum leptin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting serum glucose (FSG), insulin, insulin resistance (IR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid profile, and the inflammatory markers high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were evaluated.ResultsGKB extract significantly decreases HbA1c, FSG and insulin levels, IR, BMI, WC, VAI, serum leptin, and the inflammatory markers compared to baseline values. Simultaneously, GKB did not negatively affect the functions of the liver, kidney, and hematopoietic system.ConclusionThe use of GKB extract as an adjuvant with Met was effective in improving the outcome of patients with MTS.

LIR Motif-Containing Hyperdisulfide β-Ginkgotide is Cytoprotective, Adaptogenic, and Scaffold-Ready

“…Clearing subcellular damages would increase survivability [30,31,32]. In traditional medicine, G. biloba is used as an herbal remedy for acute ischemic stroke and post-stroke recovery [33,34,35]. To examine the effects of β-gB1 in hypoxia stress, we used cardio-myoblast H9c2 and SH-SY5Y cells.…”

“…The autophagosome will fuse with an available lysosome as a special waste management and disposal process for degradation of the toxic protein aggregates, implicated in the neurodegenerative diseases [36,39]. In addition, we showed that BECN1 expression, a key pathogenic factor for the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, is elevated, and the overexpression of BECN1 has been found to reduce disease pathogenesis through the autophagy-mediated clearance of the toxic amyloid precursor [33].…”

Effects of Ginkgo biloba on Diseases Related to Oxidative Stress

“…The study performed by Aziz et al [33] evaluated the effects of EGB761 (120 mg a day) in patients taking Metformin for 90 days, comparing them to a placebo group. It was possible to conclude that the administration of EGB761 decreased the levels of HbA1c, glycemia, insulin, insulin resistance, abdominal circumference, serum leptin, and inflammatory markers.…”

Activation of heme oxygenase-1 by Ginkgo biloba extract differentially modulates endothelial and smooth muscle-like progenitor cells for vascular repair

“…First, GBE is available as a standardized preparation (commercial name: Cerenin ® ), and it is the most widely sold phytomedicine in Europe and the United States, where it is used to treat the symptoms of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, peripheral claudicating, and tinnitus of vascular origin. Recently, GBE was shown to inhibit the expression of inflammatory markers such as high sensitive C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 in patients with metabolic syndrome 51 . Furthermore, GBE was shown to have protective effects on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells against oxidative stress injury by regulating p38MAPK and JNK signaling 52 .…”