Chinese Scientists Offer Happy New Year Herbal News: Enhanced Ginkgo Biloba Formulation May Improve Ability To Remember Your Resolutions.

BEIJING--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 13, 1998--

New Research Broadens Understanding of Popular Herbal's

Benefits -- Enhanced Formulation Found to Enter the System Faster

and Remain Longer, with Fewer Doses

A laboratory study published in the current issue of the respected international natural products and medicinal plant research journal, Planta Medica, found that an enhanced formulation of ginkgo biloba extract provides better absorption and retention than any previously tested formulation.

The study was conducted by researchers at Beijing Medical University, a leading center for the study of the science underlying traditional health remedies. Their results indicate that a formulation known as BioGinkgo 27/7(TM) entered the blood stream more quickly, did so in greater concentrations, and was retained significantly longer, than the commonly consumed formulation, known as 24/6.

"Here in China, where extracts from the ginkgo biloba tree have been used for centuries as curatives in the areas of memory loss, cognitive difficulties and other ills often associated with aging, we have long recognized that the relative effectiveness of various extracts can vary greatly," said Professor Li Chang Ling, Ph.D., vice president, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Beijing Medical University, who served as principal investigator in this study.

"We hypothesized that this might be due to variances in bioavailability, meaning the speed and efficiency with which the beneficial ingredients are absorbed into the system and the length of time for which they are retained at pharmacologically significant levels. Our study, the first of its type, confirmed that hypothesis," Dr. Li said.

The precise mechanism of action of ginkgo extracts has not been defined. However, in large part due to pioneering research conducted by Prof. Koji Nakanishi, centennial professor of chemistry at Columbia University, scientists generally agree that the most important beneficial ingredients in any ginkgo extract are terpene lactones, commonly known as ginkgolides, and flavonoid glycosides. Hence, ginkgo extracts are usually standardized to these two classes of chemicals.

Commenting on the Chinese study, Prof. Nakanishi said, "The significance of Dr. Li's work is that it helps us better understand the processes through which the ginkgolides and flavonoids enter, and stay, in the bloodstream, and why the standardized BioGinkgo 27/7(TM) formulation is particularly effective."

The 27/7(TM) extract contains 27% flavonoid glycosides and 7% terpene lactones, including substantially more ginkgolide B as contained in other formulations. In the Beijing Medical University study this extract was shown to be absorbed into the bodies of laboratory rabbits significantly more efficiently and effectively than the common 24% flavonoid/6% terpene lactone extract. Ginkgolide levels in the blood of BioGinkgo 27/7(TM) -treated animals reached peak levels in one hour, vs. three hours in animals treated with the 24/6 formulation. In addition, while ginkgolide levels in the 24/6-treated rabbits decreased quickly over twelve hours, significant levels of ginkgolides remained in the blood of 27/7(TM) -treated animals for the full 12 hours.

"The Beijing Medical University study is significant because it helps us better understand the variabilities that occur among different formulations which, in turn, ultimately relate to potency and clinical efficacy," said one of the nation's leading experts in ginkgo biloba, Alan J. Cohen, MD. A psychopharmacologist and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, Dr. Cohen has conducted clinical research on the health benefits of various ginkgo extracts, particularly their role in alleviating sexual dysfunction induced by antidepressant drugs.

"This study provides further substantiation of what I have seen in my clinical practice," Dr. Cohen continued. "Different formulations of gingko will affect peoples' cognitive abilities and memories to different degrees, due to variances in bioavailability. I have long recommended the BioGinkgo 27/7(TM) extract to my patients who complain of diminished memory and concentration, precisely because it enters the bloodstream more rapidly and maintains consistently higher levels of beneficial ginkgolides. This benefit can be especially important around the holidays, a demanding time of year for many people."

Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., Dean Emeritus of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and one of the nation's leading authorities on herbal supplements, said, "This animal study is important for a number of reasons. For individual consumers, it suggests that they may be able to take fewer doses, at a lower cost. It also reinforces the fact that not all herbals are created equal and consumers need to educate themselves about the differences. And, for everyone interested in the urgent need to increase our under-standing of how these ancient remedies work, it is yet another important piece of data contributing to our overall knowledge."

The ginkgolides, and particularly ginkgolide B, contribute to ginkgo's effectiveness at inhibiting a potent anti-inflammatory and vasoconstrictor lipid mediator called platelet-activating factor (PAF), which can cause blood platelet aggregation and a diminished flow of blood. Intensive studies conducted in the U.S., Europe and Japan have shown that the ginkgolides, especially ginkgolide B, inhibit this PAF-induced aggregation, thereby improving blood flow to the brain and other organs.

The flavonoids are potent antioxidants that scavenge oxygen free radicals, thereby preventing age-related cell and tissue damage that can adversely affect various mental functions, including memory and concentration. There is evidence to suggest that the scavenging activity of flavonoids is at least comparable to other, better known antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: This announcement is being issued on behalf of Beijing Medical University by the office of Prof. Koji Nakanishi, centennial professor of chemistry at Columbia University. Prof. Nakanishi is available to answer your science-related questions.

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Candice Maloney, 310/444-1332