Originally from China, the
Ginkgo biloba tree is now well known around the world where it was used as a source of food
1 or to fight against certain diseases related to the blood circulation, loss of memory, hearing or vision.
2
Some studies have shown certain anticancer properties3,4,5 of Ginkgo extracts which would inhibit cell growth, making them more sensitive to certain antimitotics6,7 or increasing the apoptosis of malignant cells of the pancreas,8 of the breast9,10 or even synergistic with chemotherapy11.
Many observations have been made regarding the effects of the Ginkgo extract, (listed below in references.)Â but all refer to green ginkgo extracts.
What attracted researcher Mirko Beljanski is that ribonucleases play an important role in tumor genesis and progression, and also have angiogenic activity, slowing the proliferation and invasion of tissues by malignant cells.12,13,14
Mirko Beljanski was interested in Ginkgo extracts, but he chose a golden Gingko, that is, when the ripening of the leaves changed its composition15. Knowing that cancer patients have the overactive nuclease enzyme16, he showed that yellow leaf extract normalized the activity of this enzyme in cancerous tissue only. This makes it possible to effectively curb certain cancerous proliferation, without any toxicity for the patient. Ginkgo has also been regularly included in some of the dosages recommended for users of Beljanski® products.
We recently initiated a new study with precisely Ginkgo extracts prepared from golden leaves, provided by Natural Source/Maison Beljanski. We are investigating its activity in the proliferation of various cancerous lines as well as its activity to regulate ribonucleases.
For this new study, we will examine whether melanoma cells secrete or contain more ribonuclease than normal skin cells (fibroblasts). And we’ll look at the action of the golden yellow leaf extract provided by Maison Beljanski on ribonucleases in these cells, hoping to show how the extract can inhibit melanoma cells.
References
1. M. G.E., Eocene Ginkgo leaf fossils from the Pacific Northwest, Canadian Journal of Botany 80(10) (2002) 1078-1087.
2. NIH, Ginkgo. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/ginkgo/ataglance.htm. (Accessed Nov. 14, 2019).
3. R. Suzuki, H. Kohno, S. Sugie, K. Sasaki, T. Yoshimura, K. Wada, T. Tanaka, Preventive effects of extract of leaves of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and its component bilobalide on azoxymethane-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci in rats, Cancer Lett 210(2) (2004) 159-69.
4. E. Pretner, H. Amri, W. Li, R. Brown, C.S. Lin, E. Makariou, F.V. Defeudis, K. Drieu, V. Papadopoulos, Cancer-related overexpression of the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor and cytostatic anticancer effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761), Anticancer Res 26(1A) (2006) 9-22.
5. A.H. Xu, H.S. Chen, B.C. Sun, X.R. Xiang, Y.F. Chu, F. Zhai, L.C. Jia, Therapeutic mechanism of ginkgo biloba exocarp polysaccharides on gastric cancer, World J Gastroenterol 9(11) (2003) 2424-7.
6. W. Jiang, Q. Cong, Y. Wang, B. Ye, C. Xu, Ginkgo May Sensitize Ovarian Cancer Cells to Cisplatin: Antiproliferative and Apoptosis-Inducing Effects of Ginkgolide B on Ovarian Cancer Cells, Integr Cancer Ther 13(3) (2014) NP10-7.
7. S.Q. Liu, C.Y. Xu, M.B. Qin, L. Tan, C.F. Zhuge, Y.B. Mao, M.Y. Lai, J.A. Huang, Ginkgo biloba extract enhances chemotherapy sensitivity and reverses chemoresistance through suppression of the KSR1-mediated ERK1/2 pathway in gastric cancer cells, Oncol Rep 33(6) (2015) 2871-82.
8. J. Ma, W. Duan, S. Han, J. Lei, Q. Xu, X. Chen, Z. Jiang, L. Nan, J. Li, K. Chen, L. Han, Z. Wang, X. Li, E. Wu, X. Huo, Ginkgolic acid suppresses the development of pancreatic cancer by inhibiting pathways driving lipogenesis, Oncotarget 6(25) (2015) 20993-1003.
9. M.J. Kim, Y.J. Park, K.H. Chung, S.M. Oh, The inhibitory effects of the standardized extracts of Ginkgo biloba on Aromatase activity in JEG-3 human choriocarcinoma cells, Phytother Res 27(12) (2013) 1756-62.
10. Y.J. Park, M.J. Kim, H.R. Kim, M.S. Yi, K.H. Chung, S.M. Oh, Chemopreventive effects of Ginkgo biloba extract in estrogen-negative human breast cancer cells, Arch Pharm Res 36(1) (2013) 102-8.
11. M.C. Dias, K.S. Furtado, M.A. Rodrigues, L.F. Barbisan, Effects of Ginkgo biloba on chemically-induced mammary tumors in rats receiving tamoxifen, BMC Complement Altern Med 13 (2013) 93.
12. A. Attia, S.R. Rapp, L.D. Case, R. D’Agostino, G. Lesser, M. Naughton, K. McMullen, R. Rosdhal, E.G. Shaw, Phase II study of Ginkgo biloba in irradiated brain tumor patients: effect on cognitive function, quality of life, and mood, J Neurooncol 109(2) (2012) 357-63.
13. D.L. Barton, K. Burger, P.J. Novotny, T.R. Fitch, S. Kohli, G. Soori, M.B. Wilwerding, J.A. Sloan, L.A. Kottschade, K.M. Rowland, Jr., S.R. Dakhil, D.A. Nikcevich, C.L. Loprinzi, The use of Ginkgo biloba for the prevention of chemotherapy-related cognitive dysfunction in women receiving adjuvant treatment for breast cancer, N00C9, Support Care Cancer 21(4) (2013) 1185-92.
14. Z. Cai, C. Wang, P. Liu, P. Shen, Y. Han, N. Liu, Ginkgo biloba extract in combination with sorafenib is clinically safe and tolerable in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients, Phytomedicine 23(12) (2016) 1295-1300.
15. B. Hauns, B. Haring, S. Kohler, K. Mross, C. Unger, Phase II study of combined 5-fluorouracil/ Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE 761 ONC) therapy in 5-fluorouracil pretreated patients with advanced colorectal cancer, Phytother Res 15(1) (2001) 34-8.
16. J.E. Causse, T. Nawrocki, M. Beljanski, Human skin fibrosis RNase – Search for a biological inhibitor-regulator, Dtsch Zscbr Onkol 26(5) (1994) 137-139.
