Ginkgo Biloba Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ginkgo Biloba, including details on ginkgo biloba, herbal remedies, side effects, benefits.

Ginkgo biloba attenuates mucosal damage in a rat model of ulcerative colitis.

Mustafa A, El-Medany A, Hagar HH, El-Medany G

Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine & KKUH, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.

Intestinal inflammatory states, regardless of specific initiating events, share common immunologically mediated pathways of tissue injury and repair. The efficacy of various drugs used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) was investigated. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of ginkgo biloba extract on the extent and severity of UC caused by intracolonic administration of acetic acid in rats. The inflammatory response was assessed by histology and measurement of myeloperoxidase activity (MPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) levels in colon mucosa. Oral pretreatment with Ginkgo biloba in doses of (30, 60, 120mgkg(-1) body weight) and sulfasalazine in a dose of (500mgkg(-1) body weight used as reference) for 2 days before induction of colitis and continued for 5 consecutive days, significantly decreased colonic MPO activity, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta levels and increased GSH concentration. Moreover, Ginkgo biloba attenuated the macroscopic colonic damage and the histopathological changes-induced by acetic acid. These results suggest that Ginkgo biloba may be effective in the treatment of UC through its scavenging effect on oxygen-derived free radicals.

Published 17 April 2006 in Pharmacol Res, 53(4): 324-30.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ginkgo Biloba Research Today. All Rights Reserved.