No Access

Behavioral Effects of Ginkgo biloba L., Panax ginseng C.A. Mey. and Gincosan®

Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Experimental Psychopharmacology, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Correspondence to: Prof. V.V. Petkov, Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev St., bl. 23, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria. Fax: (+359) 2-719-109.

The first author, Professor V.D. Petkov, a long time member of the Editorial Board and Senior Advisory Board of the American Journal of Chinese Medicine passed away recently. We publish the present study in honor of his memory.

Search for more papers by this author

S. Belcheva

Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Experimental Psychopharmacology, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Search for more papers by this author

, and

V. V. Petkov

Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Experimental Psychopharmacology, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Search for more papers by this author

https://doi.org/10.1142/S0192415X03001533Cited by:18 (Source: Crossref)

Abstract

The behavioral effects of a standardized extract from Panax ginseng roots (G115), of a standardized extract from Ginkgo biloba leaves (GK501) and of their combination (PHL-00701) (Gincosan®) were examined in experiments on rats with undisturbed memory and on rats with experimentally-impaired memory (by alcohol or by muscarinic- and dopamine-receptor antagonists), using methods for active avoidance (shuttle-box) and passive avoidance (step-down and step-through). On multiple administration G115, GK501 and PHL-00701 exerted favorable effects on learning and memory. These effects varied with the dose and administration schedules, with the rat strain and with the behavioral method. Based on earlier results, we discuss the role of changes in brain biogenic amines induced by the extracts in their mechanism of action. The present results allow for ranking G115, GK501 and their combination PHL-00701 (Gincosan®) among cognition-enhancing (nootropic) drugs.

Keywords:

References

S. Belchevaet al., C. R. Acad. Bulg. Sci. 47, 121 (1994). Google Scholar
I. I. Brekhman, Medgiz. Leningrad. 182 (1957). Google Scholar
R. Hansel and H. Haas, Therapie mit Phytopharmaka (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1983) p. 315. Crossref, Google Scholar
E. Morier-Teissieret al., Biog. Amin. 4, 351 (1987). Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. Petkov, Bull. de l'lnst. De Med. Experim. Acad. Bulg. Des Sci. 2, 485 (1957). Google Scholar
V. Petkov, Arzneim-Forsch. 2, 305 (1959). Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. Petkov, Arzneim-Forch. 11, 288 (1961). Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. Petkov, Arzneim-Forsch. 28, 388 (1978). Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. Petkov, Recent Advances in Ginseng Studies, eds. Sh. Shibata, Y. Ohtsuka and H. Saito (Hirokawa Publishing Company, Tokyo, 1990) pp. 83–98. Google Scholar
V. D. Petkov and A. H. Mosharoff, Phytother. Res. 1, 80 (1987). Crossref, Google Scholar
V. D. Petkovet al., Planta Med. 59, 106 (1993). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. D. Petkovet al., Phytother. Res. 7, 139 (1993). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
V. D. Petkovet al., Phytother. Res. 8, 470 (1994). Crossref, Web of Science, Google Scholar
H. Saito, Recent Advances in Ginseng Studies, eds. Sh. Shibata, Y. Ohtsuka and H. Saito (Hirokawa Publishing Company, Tokyo, 1990) pp. 99–111. Google Scholar
J. Sastreet al., Free Rad. Res. 32, 189 (2000). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
Sh. Shibataet al., Economic and Medicinal Plant and Medicinal Plant Research, eds. H. Wargner, H. Hikino and N. R. Farnthworth (Academic Press, London, 1985) pp. 217–284. Google Scholar
J. E. Tayor, Presse Mèd. 15, 1491 (1986). Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
B. Topicet al., Phytother. Res. 16, 312 (2002). Crossref, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar
S. Watson and A. Abbot, Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 12 (1991). Google Scholar