Introduction: The authors investigated whether a new ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) fresh plant extract had a positive effect on microcirculation in the skin and liver of elderly individuals, and whether the extract had antioxidative properties in vivo.
Methods: In a monocentric, controlled clinical trial with 32 elderly patients, 16 patients received three 90 mg ginkgo extract tablets twice daily for 30 days, and 16 patients acted as untreated controls. On days 0, 10, 20, and 30, microcirculatory parameters were measured using intravital microscopy in combination with reflection spectrometry, and the amount of reduced glutathione in the liver.
Results: This new ginkgo fresh plant extract significantly increased the number of blood cell-perfused nodal points, the venular streaming flow, and the local hematocrit in treated participants compared to control participants and compared to values on day 0. The ginkgo preparation also increased microcirculation in the liver, and possessed antioxidative properties that resulted in significant increases in the amount of the radical scavenger glutathione in treated participants.
Conclusion: The new ginkgo fresh plant extract increased the microcirculation significantly, and at the same time improved the radical scavenging capacity in elderly patients and was very well tolerated. This extract is an interesting adjuvant treatment option for patients suffering from impaired microcirculation and improves mechanisms which inhibit an accelerated expression of atherosclerosis.