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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Planta Med 2024; 90(13): 1040-1047
DOI: 10.1055/a-2373-0190
Natural Product Chemistry and Analytical Studies
Original Papers

Substantial Differences in Proanthocyanidin Contents among Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extracts in Herbal Medicinal Products Obtained from the German Market

Stefan Germer
1   Department of Analytical Development, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
,
Thomas Ritter
1   Department of Analytical Development, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, Karlsruhe, Germany
,
Mario Wurglics
2   Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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Abstract

Pharmacologic activity of proanthocyanidins in Ginkgo biloba leaf extract has recently been reported. The objective of the present study was to screen proanthocyanidin contents in herbal medicinal products containing Ginkgo extracts. A recently published HPLC method for quantification of proanthocyanidins in G. biloba leaf extract EGb 761 was adopted to also be suitable for finished herbal medicinal products. The method was applied to 14 products from the German market. For each product, a set of three individual batches was purchased and analyzed. Substantial differences in proanthocyanidins contents were found among distinct products, ranging from 0.30 to 5.86%. The batch-to-batch variability within each product was low. The highest concentrations are in a similar range as, for example, the amount of Ginkgo terpene trilactones specified in the monograph for G. biloba leaf extract in the European Pharmacopeia. Although it has not yet been established whether and to what extent proanthocyanidins contribute to the overall pharmacological or clinical efficacy of Ginkgo extracts, a potential impact on the purported benefits of different contents in proanthocyanidins cannot be ruled out. Quality assessment of different Ginkgo extracts in the future may include proanthocyanidins.

Keywords

Herbal medicinal products - EGb 761 - quality - extract characterization - Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgoaceae - Ginkgo biloba leaf extract - proanthocyanidins - PACs - HPLC

Supporting Information



Publication History

Received: 23 January 2024

Accepted after revision: 09 July 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
25 July 2024

Article published online:
11 September 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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