Ginko Biloba

Journal of Chromatography A, 1216 (2009) 2002–2032

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Journal of Chromatography A
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/chroma

Review

Chemicalanalysis and quality control of Ginkgo biloba leaves, extracts, and phytopharmaceuticals
Teris A. van Beek a,∗ , Paola Montoro b
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Natural Products Chemistry Group,Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 8, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands b Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Salerno, Via Ponte don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
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The chemical analysis and quality control of Ginkgo leaves, extracts, phytopharmaceuticals and some herbal supplements is comprehensively reviewed. The review isan update of a similar, earlier review in this journal [T.A. van Beek, J. Chromatogr. A 967 (2002) 21–55]. Since 2001 over 3000 papers on Ginkgo biloba have appeared, and about 400 of them pertain tochemical analysis in a broad sense and are cited herein. The more important ones are discussed and, where relevant, compared with the best methods published prior to 2002. In the same period over 2500patents were filed on Ginkgo and the very few related to analysis are mentioned as well. Important constituents include terpene trilactones, i.e. ginkgolide A, B, C, J and bilobalide, flavonolglycosides, biflavones, proanthocyanidins, alkylphenols, simple phenolic acids, 6-hydroxykynurenic acid, 4-O-methylpyridoxine and polyprenols. In the most common so-called “standardised” Ginkgo extracts andphytopharmaceuticals several of these classes are no longer present. About 130 new papers deal with the analysis of the terpene trilactones. They are mostly extracted with methanol or water or mixturesthereof. Supercritical fluid extraction and pressurised water extraction are also possible. Sample clean-up is mostly by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate although no sample clean-up at all...