Extraction, structure and bioactivities of the polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba: A review

Ginkgo biloba L. is distinguished as source of highly promising food and traditional herbal for thousands of years. Modern phytochemistry studies have demonstrated that polysaccharide is one of the important biologically-active components of G. biloba. Over the past two decades, the isolation, chemical properties and bioactivities of polysaccharides from leaves, sarcotesta and seeds of G. biloba have been drawing much attention from scholars around the world. It has been demonstrated that G. biloba polysaccharides have various remarkable biological activities, including antioxidant, antiviral, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotection effects. Moreover, different materials and extracting methods result in the difference in structure and bioactivity of G. biloba polysaccharides. The purpose of this review is aimed at providing systematical and current information on the isolation methods, structural features and bioactivities of G. biloba polysaccharides to support their further application as therapeutic agents and functional foods.