Description
Ginkgolic acids are found in Ginkgo biloba and exhibit antiviral, antibiotic, and anticancer chemotherapeutic activities. In vitro, ginkgolic acids inhibit HIV protease and suppress HIV infection. Ginkgolic acids also exhibit antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus. Ginkgolic acids also inhibit fatty acid synthase and exhibit cytotoxicity in breast cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia cells. Additionally, ginkgolic acids induce apoptosis in cancer cells through downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax. Ginkgolic acids may also be neurotoxic, as they increase activity of protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) in neurons.
References
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Lü JM, Yan S, Jamaluddin S, et al. Ginkgolic acid inhibits HIV protease activity and HIV infection in vitro. Med Sci Monit. 2012 Aug;18(8):BR293-298. PMID: 22847190.
Zhou C, Li X, Du W, et al. Antitumor effects of ginkgolic acid in human cancer cell occur via cell cycle arrest and decrease the Bcl-2/Bax ratio to induce apoptosis. Chemotherapy. 2010;56(5):393-402. PMID: 20948210.
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Ahlemeyer B, Selke D, Schaper C, et al. Ginkgolic acids induce neuronal death and activate protein phosphatase type-2C. Eur J Pharmacol. 2001 Oct 26;430(1):1-7. PMID: 11698056.
