Iranian authors reviewing the currently available literature suggest that an extract of Gingko biloba (GB, pinyin: Bai Guo Ye) has the potential to be effective against psoriasis. Ginkgo has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat a variety of health conditions, and it is now known that its leaves contain flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids (ginkgolides, bilobalides) as active ingredients. GBE has demonstrated the ability to prevent leucocyte adhesion, an important step in the pathological process of psoriasis, which leads to accumulation of these cells in tissues affected by psoriatic lesions. It can also inhibit the action of various pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-? (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), NF-?B (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), IL-6 (interleukin-six), ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) and NO (nitric oxide), all of which have been shown to be important in the pathogenesis of the condition. GBE also has also been shown to be able to upregulate the activity of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (interleukin-ten). All of these activities suggest that GBE might be effective against a chronic inflammatory skin disease such as psoriasis. The authors therefore encourage the conduction of clinical trials of GBE for psoriasis. (Ginkgo biloba Extract: A Novel Addition to Antipsoriasis Ammunition? The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. April 2012, Vol. 18, No. 4: 316-317).
Quelle: www.jcm.co.uk