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Peng Y, Chen Q, Xue YH, Jin H, Liu S, Du MQ, Yao SY. Ginkgo biloba and Its Chemical Components in the Management of Alzheimer's Disease. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE 2024; 52:625-666. [PMID: 38654507 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x24500277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, remains unclear. The main manifestations of AD include cognitive and behavioral disorders, neuropsychiatric symptoms, neuroinflammation, amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. However, current drugs for AD once the dementia stage has been reached only treat symptoms and do not delay progression, and the research and development of targeted drugs for AD have reached a bottleneck. Thus, other treatment options are needed. Bioactive ingredients derived from plants are promising therapeutic agents. Specifically, Ginkgo biloba (Gb) extracts exert anti-oxidant, anticancer, neuroplastic, neurotransmitter-modulating, blood fluidity, and anti-inflammatory effects, offering alternative options in the treatment of cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. The main chemical components of Gb include flavonoids, terpene lactones, proanthocyanidins, organic acids, polysaccharides, and amino acids. Gb and its extracts have shown remarkable therapeutic effects on various neurodegenerative diseases, including AD, with few adverse reactions. Thus, high-quality Gb extracts are a well-established treatment option for AD. In this review, we summarize the insights derived from traditional Chinese medicine, experimental models, and emerging clinical trials on the role of Gb and its chemical components in the treatment of the main clinical manifestations of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Peng
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Quan Chen
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Hui Xue
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Hong Jin
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Shu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Miao-Qiao Du
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
| | - Shun-Yu Yao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated First Hospital of Hunan Traditional, Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, P. R. China
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Obrenovich M, Singh SK, Li Y, Perry G, Siddiqui B, Haq W, Reddy VP. Natural Product Co-Metabolism and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Age-Related Diseases. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 13:life13010041. [PMID: 36675988 PMCID: PMC9865576 DOI: 10.3390/life13010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Complementary alternative medicine approaches are growing treatments of diseases to standard medicine practice. Many of these concepts are being adopted into standard practice and orthomolecular medicine. Age-related diseases, in particular neurodegenerative disorders, are particularly difficult to treat and a cure is likely a distant expectation for many of them. Shifting attention from pharmaceuticals to phytoceuticals and "bugs as drugs" represents a paradigm shift and novel approaches to intervention and management of age-related diseases and downstream effects of aging. Although they have their own unique pathologies, a growing body of evidence suggests Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) share common pathology and features. Moreover, normal metabolic processes contribute to detrimental aging and age-related diseases such as AD. Recognizing the role that the cerebral and cardiovascular pathways play in AD and age-related diseases represents a common denominator in their pathobiology. Understanding how prosaic foods and medications are co-metabolized with the gut microbiota (GMB) would advance personalized medicine and represents a paradigm shift in our view of human physiology and biochemistry. Extending that advance to include a new physiology for the advanced age-related diseases would provide new treatment targets for mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and neurodegeneration and may speed up medical advancements for these particularly devastating and debilitating diseases. Here, we explore selected foods and their derivatives and suggest new dementia treatment approaches for age-related diseases that focus on reexamining the role of the GMB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Obrenovich
- Research Service, Department of Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- The Gilgamesh Foundation for Medical Science and Research, Cleveland, OH 44116, USA
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
- Departments of Chemistry and Biological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Sandeep Kumar Singh
- Indian Scientific Education and Technology (ISET) Foundation, Lucknow 226002, India
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - George Perry
- Department of Neuroscience Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Bushra Siddiqui
- School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - Waqas Haq
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - V. Prakash Reddy
- Department of Chemistry, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO 65409, USA
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3
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Li Y, Zhang L, Wang W, Liu Y, Sun D, Li H, Chen L. A review on natural products with cage-like structure. Bioorg Chem 2022; 128:106106. [PMID: 36037599 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Natural products with diverse structures and significant biological activities are essential sources of drug lead compounds, and play an important role in the research and development of innovative drugs. Cage-like compounds have various structures and are widely distributed in nature, especially caged xanthones isolated from Garcinia genus, paeoniflorin and its derivatives isolated from Paeonia lactiflora Pall, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its derivatives, and so on. In recent years, the development and utilization of cage-like compounds have been a research hotspot in chemistry, biology and other fields due to their special structures and remarkable biological activities. In this review, we mainly summarized the cage-like compounds with various structures found and isolated from natural drugs since 1956, summarized its broad biological activities, and introduced the progress in the biosynthesis of some compounds, so as to provide a reference for the discovery of more novel compounds, and the development and application of innovative drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wang Wang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dejuan Sun
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hua Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; College of Pharmacy, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China.
| | - Lixia Chen
- Wuya College of Innovation, Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drug Design & Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Rojas-Gutierrez E, Muñoz-Arenas G, Treviño S, Espinosa B, Chavez R, Rojas K, Flores G, Díaz A, Guevara J. Alzheimer's disease and metabolic syndrome: A link from oxidative stress and inflammation to neurodegeneration. Synapse 2017. [PMID: 28650104 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality among the aging population. AD diagnosis is made post-mortem, and the two pathologic hallmarks, particularly evident in the end stages of the illness, are amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Currently, there is no curative treatment for AD. Additionally, there is a strong relation between oxidative stress, metabolic syndrome, and AD. The high levels of circulating lipids and glucose imbalances amplify lipid peroxidation that gradually diminishes the antioxidant systems, causing high levels of oxidative metabolism that affects cell structure, leading to neuronal damage. Accumulating evidence suggests that AD is closely related to a dysfunction of both insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in the brain, leading to an insulin-resistant brain state. Four drugs are currently used for this pathology: Three FDA-approved cholinesterase inhibitors and one NMDA receptor antagonist. However, wide varieties of antioxidants are promissory to delay or prevent the symptoms of AD and may help in treating the disease. Therefore, therapeutic efforts to achieve attenuation of oxidative stress could be beneficial in AD treatment, attenuating Aβ-induced neurotoxicity and improve neurological outcomes in AD. The term inflammaging characterizes a widely accepted paradigm that aging is accompanied by a low-grade chronic up-regulation of certain pro-inflammatory responses in the absence of overt infection, and is a highly significant risk factor for both morbidity and mortality in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Rojas-Gutierrez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Muñoz-Arenas
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Pue, Mexico
| | - Samuel Treviño
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Pue, Mexico
| | - Blanca Espinosa
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias-INER, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Raúl Chavez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Karla Rojas
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Pue, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Díaz
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Pue, Mexico
| | - Jorge Guevara
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Complimentary and alternative medicine has an extensive worldwide history and is commonly used by older patients. A number of different alternative medicines are used by patients having Alzheimer disease. It is both desirable and expected for clinicians to be acquainted with these medications. REVIEW SUMMARY This paper discusses the available clinical trial evidence regarding 8 agents commonly used by people having Alzheimer disease. We provide an overview of the history and basic scientific evidence available for each agent, followed by a critical analysis of the evidence available from clinical trials, including the number of participants, trial duration, and specific outcomes evaluated. CONCLUSION Although many of these compounds have been associated with interesting basic science, none has shown clear clinical benefit to date. Data available for some, such as Ginkgo biloba, curcumin, and huperzine A, suggest that further evaluation is warranted. Familiarity with this literature will allow clinicians to provide meaningful recommendations to patients who wish to use these agents.
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Jin T, Chen YW, Howard A, Zhang YZ. Purification, crystallization and initial crystallographic characterization of the Ginkgo biloba 11S seed globulin ginnacin. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2008; 64:641-4. [PMID: 18607097 DOI: 10.1107/s1744309108016242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2008] [Accepted: 05/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ginkgo biloba, a well known ;living fossil' native to China, is grown worldwide as an ornamental shade plant. Medicinal and nutritional uses of G. biloba in Asia have a long history. However, ginkgo seed proteins have not been well studied at the biochemical and molecular level. In this study, the G. biloba 11S seed storage protein ginnacin was purified by sequential anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. A crystallization screen was performed and well diffracting single crystals were obtained by the vapor-diffusion method. A molecular-replacement structural solution has been obtained. There are six protomers in an asymmetric unit. Structure refinement is currently in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengchuan Jin
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
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Vitolo O, Gong B, Cao Z, Ishii H, Jaracz S, Nakanishi K, Arancio O, Dzyuba SV, Lefort R, Shelanski M. Protection against beta-amyloid induced abnormal synaptic function and cell death by Ginkgolide J. Neurobiol Aging 2007; 30:257-65. [PMID: 17640772 PMCID: PMC2646106 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2007.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2005] [Revised: 05/04/2007] [Accepted: 05/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A new Ginkgo biloba extract P8A (TTL), 70% enriched with terpene trilactones, prevents A beta(1-42) induced inhibition of long-term potentiation in the CA1 region of mouse hippocampal slices. This neuroprotective effect is attributed in large part to ginkgolide J that completely replicates the effect of the extract. Ginkgolide J is also capable of inhibiting cell death of rodent hippocampal neurons caused by A beta(1-42). This beneficial and multi-faceted mode of action of the ginkgolide makes it a new and promising lead in designing therapies against Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottavio Vitolo
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Bing Gong
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Zixuan Cao
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Hideki Ishii
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Stanislav Jaracz
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Koji Nakanishi
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Ottavio Arancio
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Sergei V. Dzyuba
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Roger Lefort
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Michael Shelanski
- Department of Pathology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
- Address correspondence to: Michael Shelanski, Department of Pathology, P and S 15-402, Columbia University College of Physician and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. Tel. (+1) 212 305 3300; Fax: (+1) 212 305 5498; E-mail:
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8
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Neurodegenerative diseases and memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-012372540-0/50017-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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9
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Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, Hubbard MA, Williams DK, Gentry WB, Cui Y, Ang CYW. Clinical assessment of effects of botanical supplementation on cytochrome P450 phenotypes in the elderly: St John's wort, garlic oil, Panax ginseng and Ginkgo biloba. Drugs Aging 2006; 22:525-39. [PMID: 15974642 PMCID: PMC1858666 DOI: 10.2165/00002512-200522060-00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Elderly patients are more likely to ingest prescription medications concurrently with botanical supplements, and may therefore be vulnerable to herb-drug interactions. Phytochemical-mediated modulation of cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity may underlie many herb-drug interactions. Some evidence suggests that CYP activity may decrease in the elderly. If so, herb-mediated changes in CYP activity may take on greater clinical relevance in this population. In this study, single timepoint, phenotypic metabolic ratios were used to determine whether long-term supplementation of St John's wort, garlic oil, Panax ginseng, and Ginkgo biloba affected CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 or CYP3A4 activity in elderly subjects. METHODS Twelve healthy volunteers between the ages of 60 and 76 years (mean age 67 years) were randomly assigned to receive each botanical supplement for 28 days followed by a 30-day washout period. Probe drug cocktails of midazolam, caffeine, chlorzoxazone and debrisoquine were administered before and at the end of supplementation. Pre- and post-supplementation phenotypic ratios were determined for CYP3A4, CYP1A2, CYP2E1 and CYP2D6 using 1-hydroxymidazolam/midazolam serum ratios (1-hour), paraxanthine/caffeine serum ratios (6-hour), 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone/chlorzoxazone serum ratios (2-hour) and debrisoquine urinary recovery ratios (8-hour), respectively. The content of purported 'active' phytochemicals was determined for each supplement. RESULTS Comparisons of pre- and post-St John's wort phenotypic ratios revealed significant induction of CYP3A4 (approximately 140%) and CYP2E1 activity (approximately 28%). Garlic oil inhibited CYP2E1 activity by approximately 22%. P. ginseng inhibition of CYP2D6 was statistically significant, but the magnitude of the effect (approximately 7%) did not appear to be clinically relevant. None of the supplements tested in this study appeared to affect CYP1A2 activity. CONCLUSIONS Elderly subjects, like their younger counterparts, are susceptible to herb-mediated changes in CYP activity, especially those involving St John's wort. Pharmacokinetic herb-drug interactions stemming from alterations in CYP activity may adversely affect drug efficacy and/or toxicity. When compared with earlier studies that employed young subjects, the data suggest that some age-related changes in CYP responsivity to botanical supplementation may exist. Concomitant ingestion of botanical supplements with prescription medications, therefore, should be strongly discouraged in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill J Gurley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
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Morgan D. Cognitive Impairment in Transgenic Mouse Models of Amyloid Deposition. ANIMAL MODELS OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT 2006. [DOI: 10.1201/9781420004335.sec3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Brenner ED, Katari MS, Stevenson DW, Rudd SA, Douglas AW, Moss WN, Twigg RW, Runko SJ, Stellari GM, McCombie WR, Coruzzi GM. EST analysis in Ginkgo biloba: an assessment of conserved developmental regulators and gymnosperm specific genes. BMC Genomics 2005; 6:143. [PMID: 16225698 PMCID: PMC1285361 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-6-143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2005] [Accepted: 10/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ginkgo biloba L. is the only surviving member of one of the oldest living seed plant groups with medicinal, spiritual and horticultural importance worldwide. As an evolutionary relic, it displays many characters found in the early, extinct seed plants and extant cycads. To establish a molecular base to understand the evolution of seeds and pollen, we created a cDNA library and EST dataset from the reproductive structures of male (microsporangiate), female (megasporangiate), and vegetative organs (leaves) of Ginkgo biloba. Results RNA from newly emerged male and female reproductive organs and immature leaves was used to create three distinct cDNA libraries from which 6,434 ESTs were generated. These 6,434 ESTs from Ginkgo biloba were clustered into 3,830 unigenes. A comparison of our Ginkgo unigene set against the fully annotated genomes of rice and Arabidopsis, and all available ESTs in Genbank revealed that 256 Ginkgo unigenes match only genes among the gymnosperms and non-seed plants – many with multiple matches to genes in non-angiosperm plants. Conversely, another group of unigenes in Gingko had highly significant homology to transcription factors in angiosperms involved in development, including MADS box genes as well as post-transcriptional regulators. Several of the conserved developmental genes found in Ginkgo had top BLAST homology to cycad genes. We also note here the presence of ESTs in G. biloba similar to genes that to date have only been found in gymnosperms and an additional 22 Ginkgo genes common only to genes from cycads. Conclusion Our analysis of an EST dataset from G. biloba revealed genes potentially unique to gymnosperms. Many of these genes showed homology to fully sequenced clones from our cycad EST dataset found in common only with gymnosperms. Other Ginkgo ESTs are similar to developmental regulators in higher plants. This work sets the stage for future studies on Ginkgo to better understand seed and pollen evolution, and to resolve the ambiguous phylogenetic relationship of G. biloba among the gymnosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Brenner
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Manpreet S Katari
- New York University, Department of Biology 1009 Main Building, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Dennis W Stevenson
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Stephen A Rudd
- Centre for Biotechnology, Tykistökatu 6, FIN-20521 Turku, Finland
| | - Andrew W Douglas
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Walter N Moss
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Richard W Twigg
- Biology Department, Duke University, Box 91000, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Suzan J Runko
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA
| | - Giulia M Stellari
- Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY 14850, USA
| | - WR McCombie
- Genome Research Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 500 Sunnyside Blvd, Woodbury, NY 11797, USA
| | - Gloria M Coruzzi
- New York University, Department of Biology 1009 Main Building, New York, NY 10003, USA
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12
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Brenner ED, Katari MS, Stevenson DW, Rudd SA, Douglas AW, Moss WN, Twigg RW, Runko SJ, Stellari GM, McCombie WR, Coruzzi GM. EST analysis in Ginkgo biloba: an assessment of conserved developmental regulators and gymnosperm specific genes. BMC Genomics 2005. [PMID: 16225698 DOI: 10.1186/1471‐2164‐6‐143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ginkgo biloba L. is the only surviving member of one of the oldest living seed plant groups with medicinal, spiritual and horticultural importance worldwide. As an evolutionary relic, it displays many characters found in the early, extinct seed plants and extant cycads. To establish a molecular base to understand the evolution of seeds and pollen, we created a cDNA library and EST dataset from the reproductive structures of male (microsporangiate), female (megasporangiate), and vegetative organs (leaves) of Ginkgo biloba. RESULTS RNA from newly emerged male and female reproductive organs and immature leaves was used to create three distinct cDNA libraries from which 6,434 ESTs were generated. These 6,434 ESTs from Ginkgo biloba were clustered into 3,830 unigenes. A comparison of our Ginkgo unigene set against the fully annotated genomes of rice and Arabidopsis, and all available ESTs in Genbank revealed that 256 Ginkgo unigenes match only genes among the gymnosperms and non-seed plants--many with multiple matches to genes in non-angiosperm plants. Conversely, another group of unigenes in Gingko had highly significant homology to transcription factors in angiosperms involved in development, including MADS box genes as well as post-transcriptional regulators. Several of the conserved developmental genes found in Ginkgo had top BLAST homology to cycad genes. We also note here the presence of ESTs in G. biloba similar to genes that to date have only been found in gymnosperms and an additional 22 Ginkgo genes common only to genes from cycads. CONCLUSION Our analysis of an EST dataset from G. biloba revealed genes potentially unique to gymnosperms. Many of these genes showed homology to fully sequenced clones from our cycad EST dataset found in common only with gymnosperms. Other Ginkgo ESTs are similar to developmental regulators in higher plants. This work sets the stage for future studies on Ginkgo to better understand seed and pollen evolution, and to resolve the ambiguous phylogenetic relationship of G. biloba among the gymnosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Brenner
- The New York Botanical Garden, 200th St. and Kazimiroff, Bronx, NY 10458-5126, USA.
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Abstract
Considerable evidence now indicates that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a vascular disorder with neurodegenerative consequences. As a result, AD and vascular dementia (VaD) can each be described as a 'vasocognopathy'. The term better describes the origin of the disease (vaso: vessel/blood flow), its primary effect on a system (-cogno: relating to cognition) and its clinical course (-pathy: disorder). Evidence that AD is a vasocognopathy is partly supported by the following multidisciplinary findings: (1) epidemiologic studies linking AD and vascular risk factors to cerebral hypoperfusion; (2) evidence that AD and vascular dementia (VaD) share practically all reported risk factors; (3) evidence that pharmacotherapy which increases or improves cerebral perfusion lowers AD symptoms; (4) evidence of preclinical detection of AD candidates using regional cerebral perfusion and glucose uptake studies; (5) evidence of overlapping clinical symptoms in AD and VaD; (6) evidence of parallel cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative pathologic markers (including plaques and tangles) in AD and VaD; (7) evidence that cerebral infarction increases AD incidence by 50%; (8) evidence that chronic brain hypoperfusion can trigger hypometabolic, cognitive and neurodegenerative changes typical of AD; (9) evidence that most autopsied AD brains contain cerebrovascular pathology; (10) evidence that mild cognitive impairment (a transition stage for AD) converts to AD or VaD in 48% and 56% of cases, respectively, within several years. The collective evidence presented here poses a powerful argument for the re-classification of AD as a vascular disorder. Re-classification would allow a new strategy that could result in the tactical development and application of genuinely effective treatments, provide earlier diagnosis and reduce AD prevalence by focusing on the root of the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack C de la Torre
- Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Gaudineau C, Beckerman R, Welbourn S, Auclair K. Inhibition of human P450 enzymes by multiple constituents of the Ginkgo biloba extract. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2004; 318:1072-8. [PMID: 15147983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.04.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 was tested for its ability to inhibit the major human cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs). The full extract was found to strongly inhibit CYP2C9 (Ki = 14+/- 4 microg/mL), and to a lesser extent, CYP1A2 (Ki = 106 +/- 24 microg/mL), CYP2E1 (Ki = 127 +/- 42 microg/mL), and CYP3A4 (Ki = 155 +/- 43 microg/mL). The terpenoidic and flavonoidic fractions of the extract were tested separately against the same P450s to identify the source of inhibition by EGb761. The terpenoidic fraction inhibited only CYP2C9 (Ki = 15 +/-6 microg/mL) whereas the flavonoidic fraction of EGb761 showed high inhibition of CYP2C9, CYP1A2, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4 (Ki's between 4.9 and 55 microg/mL). The flavonoidic fraction was further fractionated using extraction and chromatography. Inhibition studies indicated that the majority of these fractions inhibited P450s at a significant level (IC50 < 40 microg/mL).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Gaudineau
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Que., Canada H3A 2K6
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DeFeudis FV, Drieu K. ?Stress-alleviating? and ?vigilance-enhancing? actions ofGinkgo biloba extract (EGb 761). Drug Dev Res 2004. [DOI: 10.1002/ddr.10351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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de la Torre JC. Is Alzheimer's disease a neurodegenerative or a vascular disorder? Data, dogma, and dialectics. Lancet Neurol 2004; 3:184-90. [PMID: 14980533 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(04)00683-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 566] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is unknown. This gap in knowledge has created a stumbling block in the search for a genuinely effective treatment or cure for this dementia. This article summarises the arguments for a causal role for either amyloid deposition or cerebrovascular pathology as the primary trigger in the development of non-genetic AD. A bare-bones survey of the published research reveals no compelling evidence that amyloid deposition is neurotoxic in human beings or that it results in neurodegenerative changes involving synaptic, metabolic, or neuronal loss in human or transgenic-mouse brains. By contrast, the data supporting AD as a primary vascular disorder are more convincing. Findings suggesting a vascular cause of AD come from epidemiological, neuroimaging, pathological, pharmacotherapeutic, and clinical studies. The consensus of these studies indicates that chronic brain hypoperfusion is linked to AD risk factors, AD preclinical detection and pharmacotherapeutic action of AD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack C de la Torre
- Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
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