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Short-term ingestion of Ginkgo biloba extract does not alter whole body insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic, pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetic subjects-A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study.

Kudolo GB, Wang W, Elrod R, Barrientos J, Haase A, Blodgett J

Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900, USA.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Ingestion of Ginkgo biloba Extract (EGb 761) may increase pancreatic beta-cell function in both healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) as well as patients with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since hyperinsulinemia is a hallmark of T2DM, it is important to verify that increased insulin production is not due to increased insulin resistance. METHOD: NGT subjects (n=10; age, 44.2+/-13.9 years old), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n=8; age 51.3+/-6.6 years old) and T2DM subjects (n=8, 51.6+/-15.2 years old) completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. After ingesting either EGb 761 (120mg/day as a single dose) or placebo during each 3-month arm, a 2-step euglycemic insulin clamp was performed. RESULTS: At the low insulin infusion rate (10mU/m(2)/min) the glucose metabolic rates (M values) were 3.5+/-1.5 vs. 3.0+/-0.5mg/kg (P=0.16), 3.0+/-0.4 vs. 2.8+/-0.8mg/kg (P=0.19) and 2.6+/-0.7 vs. 2.4+/-0.5mg/kg (P=0.09) for the placebo and EGb 761 cycles, in the NGT, IGT and T2DM subjects, respectively. At the high insulin infusion rate (40mU/m(2)/min) the M values were 7.3+/-2.3 vs. 8.1+/-2.5mg/kg (P=0.07), 6.2+/-1.6 vs. 6.5+/-2.1mg/kg (P=0.32) and 3.6+/-1.6 vs. 3.5+/-1.0mg/kg (P=0.34) for placebo vs. EGb 761 cycles, in the NGT, IGT and T2DM subjects, respectively. CONCLUSION: The ingestion of 120mg of EGb 761 as a single for 3 months did not produce insulin resistance in the non-diabetic or pre-diabetic subjects or exacerbate the disease in the T2DM subjects.

Published 27 February 2006 in Clin Nutr, 25(1): 123-34.
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