Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Motor and Hippocampal Dependent Spatial Learning and Reference Memory Assessment in a Transgenic Rat Model of Alzheimer's Disease with Stroke
Published on: March 22, 2016
Ginkgo biloba neuroprotection: Therapeutic implications in Alzheimer's disease
1Department of Biological Sciences, Box 5018, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA. Tel.: +1 601 266 5417; Fax: +1 601 266 5797;
Abstract:
An extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves, EGb761, is becoming one of the most popular dietary supplements in the United States to enhance memory. In Europe it is a commonly prescribed drug for treatment of age-related deterioration, including degenerative dementias of the Alzheimer type (AD). Substantial experimental evidence indicates that EGb761 has neuroprotective potency under conditions such as ischemia, seizures and peripheral nerve damage. However, the mechanisms of such neuroprotective effects remain unknown, partially because of the complex chemical composition of EGb761 and the resulting so-called "polyvalent" action. This review focuses on cellular and molecular approaches towards understanding the polyvalent action of EGb761 neuroprotective effect. Two potential mechanisms of action, reducing oxidative damage and stimulating cell survival machinery, are discussed. Better understanding of the neuroprotective mechanisms of EGb761 will provide impetus for possible combination therapies and for the design of rational, "mechanism-based" strategies that target age-related neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease.
Related Concept Videos
The Blood-brain Barrier
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

