Ginkgo biloba - the key to youth: growing in a summer cottage

Ginkgo biloba: where it grows

Ginkgo biloba belongs to the Ginkgo class. This is one of the oldest plants on the planet, it appeared on Earth in the Jurassic period.

In natural conditions, it grows in China, in the Tian Mu Shan reserve. Ginkgo needs a high-mountain climate and high humidity, so most often it can be found near natural sources of water - rivers, streams, waterfalls. Prefers acidic soils. Otherwise, it is a rather undemanding plant, and will feel great even on rocky mountain slopes.

High decorativeness and numerous useful properties led to the fact that ginkgo began to be bred in parks and gardens. And by creating certain conditions for growing, it can be used to create bonsai.

Description of species and varieties

Until now, scientists will not agree on the question of which family should the ginkgo biloba tree belong to. Until recently, it was confidently attributed to gymnosperms, and today they are inclined to believe that ginkgo is a descendant of ancient ferns - one of the first plants on the planet.

However, in earlier times, ginkgoes grew north of China - in the territory of modern Siberia.

Ginkgo biloba is a tree, 30 to 50 m high, with dark green leaves, up to 12 cm long and up to 8 cm wide, shaped like fans. In the cold season, the leaves fall off.

By about the 25th year, you can discern whether the tree is of a male or female type. On the men's you can see "earrings". Pollen ripens in them. After pollination (in nature - with the help of the wind), an ovary forms on female trees.

You can also propagate ginkgo with the help of adventitious buds, which appear at the very bottom of the trunk.

Landscape construction

As an ornamental fruit plant, it is of great interest for amateur gardeners and professional gardeners of the southern, southwestern and central zones of gardening in the Republic of Belarus. This exotic medicinal plant has several varieties with large fruits, as well as forms with variegated leaves, with a pyramidal, creeping crown. Ginkgo is planted in alleys and groves. Landing with a tapeworm is also possible.

Recording tags: Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba)

Interesting facts about the plant

Naturally, many myths and legends are associated with the glorious tree.

But less interesting are the most scientific facts about ginkgo biloba, a long-lived plant:

1. Under favorable conditions, it can live up to 2500 years.
2. Monks in China regard ginkgo biloba as a yin and yang tree, a symbol of wisdom.
3. The current name of the plant is not entirely accurate. A traveler from Germany, Engelbert, admired an unprecedented hitherto beautiful tree in the garden of the Japanese emperor, and wrote down its name in Latin letters, but not in Chinese, but in Japanese transcription.
4. At home, in China, the fruits of the tree are called "silver apricots", and their seeds are a delicacy. However, if you eat too many seeds, you can get poisoned.
5. Even if the ginkgo is grown far from China, the plant will adapt to a different climate and will not get sick. Why, these trees survived even the bombing of Hiroshima and remained intact.
6. When the seeds are ripe, an unpleasant odor can be emitted from the tree. Therefore, in gardens and parks, they prefer to plant male specimens.
7. In Europe, the first ginkgo appeared in the 18th century.

Today, ginkgo biloba is literally conquering the world thanks to its extremely beneficial qualities.

Planting ginkgo seeds

Only freshly harvested seeds have a high germination capacity. Germination directly depends on the freshness of the seeds. When buying seeds, there is no need to talk about freshness, then how lucky you are. It happens that even a dozen bags (usually 2 seeds inside) do not give a single germination. It happens, on the contrary, the seeds sprout together. You can order seeds from Sochi and other southern regions privately. If the seeds are stored for six months at room temperature, their germination rate drops by half. Further - even faster.

• Ginkgo seeds

The seeds look like an apricot pit, but are lighter in color.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 5-7 cm. A film shelter, planting in a greenhouse will increase the percentage of seed germination.

Ginkgo seedlings begin to appear about a month after sowing, but they can appear only after 3 months. Young ginkgoes grow slowly, giving very little growth. Seedlings can be planted in a permanent place after a year.

Beneficial features

Ginkgo biloba leaves, berries and bark contain a number of substances that are not found anywhere else in nature. One of them is ginkcolide, which is indispensable in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels, makes them elastic, heals inflammatory processes.

The health benefits of ginkgo biloba are well known. It is no coincidence that the tree is distinguished by such longevity! Flavone glycosides have proven to be one of the best antioxidants. When a person begins to use them, his cholesterol level drops to optimal figures, all vital processes in the body are normalized.

Ginkgo biloba also contains phytosterol, calcium and its salts, phosphorus and many other useful substances.

Preparations based on ginkgo biloba have an extremely beneficial effect on the body. In a person who takes them, the pressure is always normal, the heart rate is stable, cholesterol plaques leave the vessels.

The cells receive the oxygen they need and begin to work fully. People have improved memory, clarity of thoughts appears, neuroses and insomnia recede.

Also, drugs can prevent airway spasms.

Chemical composition

The botanical uniqueness of ginkgo also determines its unique chemical composition. It is not for nothing that these trees are so resistant to the unfavorable conditions of modern large cities [17]. In medicine, ginkgo leaves are used, which are mechanically harvested from rows of young trees. Nowadays, ginkgo is specially grown for the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, especially in France (in the Bordeaux region) and in the USA (in South Carolina) [21]. On an area of ​​about 10 sq.km 25 million trees grow [6]. Ginkgo leaf extract serves as the basis for various pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and biologically active additives (BAA). It was found that leaves collected in October-November, when they begin to turn yellow, are characterized by a high content of bioflavonoids [21].

Ginkgo leaf extract has a complex chemical composition; it includes more than 40 biologically active ingredients [6, 10, 19, 24].

A standardized extract from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba contains three main groups of substances that determine its specific pharmacological activity and are indicators of the authenticity of raw materials [20].

The first group consists of terpene trilactones (bilobalide and ginkgolides A, B, C, J), which account for 5.4-12% (at least 6%) of the total content of substances in the dry extract [18]. Ginkgo is the only plant known to science that contains these substances. Ginkgolides are diterpenes and bilobalide is sesquiterpene. In total, ginkgolides A, B and C account for 2.8-6.2%, and bilobalide accounts for about 2.6-5.8% [19].

The second group is represented by bioflavonoids - flavonol_O_glycosides, in which the carbohydrate moiety - usually D-glucose, L-rhamnose, or glucoramnose - is in position 3 or 7 of phenolic aglycone (quercetin, kaempferol, or isorhamnetin) [22]. The extract contains trace amounts of flavonolic aglycones in pure form [19]. An important indicator of the quality of raw materials is the ratio of flavonol aglycones of kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin [24]. In addition, the extract contains other flavonoid glycosides (myricetin, ginkgetin, bilobetin). The total content of flavonol glycosides in the extract should be in the range of 22-27% (24%) [22]. According to the provisions of the US Pharmacopoeia, the content of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin is also determined, while the ratio of quercetin and kaempferol should not exceed 2.5: 1 [18].

The third group includes proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins, organic acids (benzoic acid and its derivatives), which increase the solubility and bioavailability of the extract, as well as polyprenols, ginkgolic acids, nitrogenous bases (thymine), amino acids (asparagine), waxes, catechins, steroids, cardanols, 2_hexanal, sugars, trace elements - magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, elements with antioxidant properties - selenium, manganese, titanium, copper [18]. An enzyme with antioxidant properties, superoxide dismutase, was also isolated from the leaves [10]. The content of ginkgolic acids is an important indicator characterizing the quality and safety of dry extract from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba. According to international requirements, the content of ginkgolic acids should not exceed 5 mg / kg, since they may exhibit allergenic properties [18, 20, 23].

Ginkgo biloba flavoglycosides have high antioxidant activity, and terpenes have anti-inflammatory effects and improve energy metabolism of the brain.

Very often, ginkgo extract is enriched with rutin to increase the total content of flavonols, which entails a decrease in the activity of the drug. Therefore, the analysis is very important to determine whether the extract complies with regulatory documents, for example, the US Pharmacopoeia or the European Pharmacopoeia [18].

Isoramnetin

Isoramnetin (3_methylquercetin) is a flavonoid of the flavonol class, a metabolite of quercetin. Less well studied compared to quercetin. It is very widespread in the plant kingdom. In terms of pharmacological action, isorhamnetin is similar to quercetin and kaempferol. As an antioxidant, it protects the phospholipid membranes of brain cells from damage, prevents thrombus formation, strengthens the vascular wall, has the activity of vitamin P, is able to inhibit phosphodiesterase and hyaluronidase, protects adrenaline from oxidation and prevents the destruction of ascorbic acid. The diuretic effect of isorhamnetin is also known: it removes excess fluid from the body and thereby normalizes blood pressure in hypertension, reduces edema of the brain and peripheral tissues [19].

Bilobalid

Bilobalide - sesquiterpene; belongs to the group of organic compounds of plant origin from the terpene class, which includes hydrocarbons with a 15-carbon skeleton (often called sesquiterpenoids). In terms of chemical structure, bilobalide is a sesquiterpene trilactone. Bilobalide and its derivatives are found only in ginkgo.

It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, since it has a protective effect on neurons. It stimulates the expression of the mitochondrial gene encoding the synthesis of cytochrome C oxidase [3, 6, 10, 14, 17, 19].

Medicinal use

The enthusiastic epithets "tree of youth", "tree of life" are not accidentally addressed to ginkgo biloba. For the preparation of medicines, foliage, berries, bark are used. Ginkgo extract provides invaluable assistance to people suffering from serious illnesses.

With excruciating dizziness, it is prescribed to take the extract for a week. The relief comes almost immediately. The unpleasant symptoms that have reduced quality of life over the years are receding.

It is difficult to find a more effective remedy for dealing with migraines. The extract helps even when strong modern drugs do not have a pronounced effect. There is no doubt that in the coming years, new drugs for headache will be developed, which will include ginkgo biloba extract (EGB).

EGB is also taken by people with memory impairment. They note that clarity of thoughts, sharpness of mind, the ability to memorize a large amount of information return to them. By conducting treatment courses, you can significantly delay the manifestation of symptoms of senile dementia in the elderly.

In addition, as part of complex therapy, the drug is prescribed if the patient has:

• noise in ears;
• insomnia;
• thrombophlebitis;
• pre-stroke condition;
• diabetes;
• varicose veins.

It is important to remember that there is no need to try to speed up the healing process by taking higher doses of the drug. The body simply will not absorb the excess. So the dosage should be prescribed by the doctor.

Healing action and application

In China, the medicinal properties of ginkgo were described as far back as 2800 BC. Even then, the plant occupied a prominent place in medicine, and the indications for its use were mainly as follows: bronchial asthma, pulmonary diseases, wounds, frostbite [8]. Nowadays, ginkgo, like ginseng, is the main element of traditional Chinese medicine. The tree was brought to Europe and America as an ornamental plant and as a botanical unique [6].

The unique healing properties of ginkgo have been recognized since the 60s. XX century. Thanks to the accumulation of information literally bit by bit about its medicinal properties, its use in the East, as well as as a result of modern research on the physiological effect of the plant on the human body and the study of the chemical composition of ginkgo. The medicinal properties of ginkgo have been practically rediscovered [10].

The very first medical studies of ginkgo in the West showed its particular promise for a number of chronic vascular diseases, after which these studies in America, Europe, and also in Japan itself began to grow like a snowball. The efficacy of ginkgo in a number of diseases has become the cause of a real scientific explosion, in particular in Germany and France, where tens of millions of people have already achieved success in healing with its help. Ginkgo preparations have often just worked wonders. This allowed them to become the most popular in the West - their annual sales amount to half a billion dollars [6].

In America, various ginkgo-based products are among the top five most purchased medicines. Ginkgo leaf extract is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in France and Germany and is used to delay or eliminate some of the most frightening symptoms of aging, such as impairment of memory, vision, hearing, attention and intelligence [5, 14]. Ginkgo is "the most important medicinal herb sold in Europe over the past decade," according to renowned herbal authority Dr. Varro Tyler of Purdue University.

And recently, another unique feature of ginkgo was discovered - preparations from this plant improve capillary blood circulation. Disturbances in the movement of blood in the smallest vessels - capillaries lead to insufficient tissue nutrition, incomplete removal of metabolic products from them and, consequently, disruption of the activity of the corresponding organs. For example, insufficient blood circulation in the brain causes dizziness, memory impairment; circulatory disorders in the tissues of the eye leads to the development of cataracts, and cardiac circulatory disorders - to angina pectoris. Ginkgo leaves contain substances that normalize capillary blood flow, protecting tissues from damage, and compounds that stimulate heart activity and deepen breathing. By improving capillary blood flow, the general condition of the body changes, and the person feels renewed. This is especially noticeable in the elderly, in whom a significant part of the ailments are caused by impaired capillary blood flow. Ginkgo stops the progression of atherosclerotic changes in the vascular system, eliminates sleep disturbances in the elderly, in whom nervousness increases from conventional hypnotics and sedatives [3, 10, 11, 13, 17].

Not so long ago, scientists from the University of Limburg in Germany showed that ginkgo leaves contain an active antioxidant complex. It protects the lipids contained in the membranes of nerve cells from being destroyed by free radicals. Therefore, ginkgo extract began to be used in patients with memory impairments, severe headaches, and Alzheimer's disease [10, 12].

Clinical studies have confirmed the effectiveness of ginkgo preparations for acute and chronic hemorrhoids. Ginkgo seeds and leaves extracts relieve pain and itching, stop bleeding [10].

Recently, ginkgo preparations have been found to have new abilities - to inhibit the development of metastases in malignant tumors, as well as to prevent thrombus formation [4, 25]. It is possible that in the future these properties will be added to new ones that have not yet been discovered.

At the end of the twentieth century. ginkgo has become a fashionable drug. Recently, many drugs have appeared in our pharmacies (tablets, capsules, oral solutions, homeopathic granules, tinctures) prepared from the extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves - Tanakan, Memoplant, Bilobil, Gingium, Ginos, Ginkoum, Vitrum Memori, etc. However, in connection with the expanded and often uncontrolled use of ginkgo preparations, its use as part of dietary supplements, the number of registered undesirable side effects (allergies, etc.) has gradually increased [5, 11]. Like any drug, ginkgo preparations may have contraindications, so they are not recommended to be taken without consulting a doctor. For example, it is not recommended to take ginkgo preparations before surgery, as they can increase bleeding. For this reason, their combination with anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents should be avoided [19]. Ginkgo is on the list of plants prohibited for use during pregnancy because it can cause hemorrhages in the fetal tissue [15]. There is evidence that the combination of ginkgo extract with quinine can increase hemorrhages [19].

Ginkgolides

Ginkgolides - diterpenes, belong to a large group of terpenes (terpenoids), plant-derived isoprene C5H8 derivatives with a 20-carbon skeleton. By chemical structure, ginkgolides are diterpene trilactones. They are only found in ginkgo.
Ginkgolides stimulate the synthesis of prostacyclin in the vascular wall, which causes vasodilation and prevents their spasm; increase capillary blood circulation and blood supply to organs, primarily the brain, relieve headaches, improve memory, ability to concentrate and other functions of the central nervous system, stimulate ATP synthesis.

They improve the supply of oxygen and glucose to the brain, suppress the platelet activating factor; improve metabolic processes, have an antihypoxic effect on tissues; prevent the formation of free radicals and lipid peroxidation of cell membranes [1]; affect the release, reuptake and catabolism of neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, acetylcholine) and their ability to bind to membrane receptors.

They have anti-inflammatory properties due to inhibition of the release of inflammatory mediators, neutrophil degranulation, stabilization of lysosomal membranes (increasing their resistance to free radical and osmotic damage) [5, 10, 14].

Use in cosmetology

Ginkgo biloba extract is widely used in cosmetology. Due to the fact that it saturates cells with oxygen, it promotes skin rejuvenation. It is added to creams, lotions, shampoos and other cosmetic products.

The substances that make up ginkgo have a number of invaluable properties:

1. They help to maintain youthfulness by slowing down the aging process.
2. Protects against free radicals, tones and soothes the skin.
3. They normalize blood circulation and relieve swelling.
4. Hair starts to look strong and healthy.
5. The appearance of cellulite is reduced.

Most often, the extract is added to the composition of cosmetics intended for women aged 45 and older. But ginkgo will also help very young boys and girls with oily problem skin, suffering from acne. Appropriate cosmetics will relieve inflammation, the skin will look healthy.

Contraindications

Some people are allergic to ginkgo biloba. Therefore, it is important to find out this point before starting treatment. Also, allergic symptoms may appear if the extract is drunk for a very long time.

With caution, preparations containing ginkgo biloba are taken with thrombocytopenia (reduced platelet count). And it is categorically impossible to use them together with anticoagulants, which affect blood clotting.

Today it is not difficult to buy drugs in pharmacies that include ginkgo biloba. If the doctor gives "the go-ahead" - discover this amazing plant, evaluate its benefits.

Ginkgo biloba: description

This is a relic gymnosperm plant. The genus includes one modern species. Ginkgo biloba is a tree up to 40 meters high with a spreading or pyramidal crown. The bark is rough, gray, covered with deep cracks in adult specimens. The bulk of the trunk is wood, like all modern conifers. But unlike them, ginkgo has no resin.

The leaves are light green, fan-shaped, slightly wavy along the edge, leathery, but very soft, as a rule, cut into two lobes. In autumn, they are painted in a bright golden yellow hue.

Ginkgo is a dioecious plant, male and female flowers can be on different trees. The first flowering occurs late, not earlier than at the age of 25, in late May or early June. Pollination occurs by the wind. Immediately after fertilization, seeds are set, similar to drupes with fleshy membranes. By November, they acquire a yellowish or gray-green color.