Pharmaceuticals
Echinaforce® Hot Drink, Concentrate
To boost the body’s own defences in cases of susceptibility to colds and in cases of colds accompanied by fever.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba L.
Ginkgo biloba is a very ancient plant species and the only surviving member of the Ginkgoaceae family. Because of its long evolutionary history, the ginkgo tree is also referred to as a “living fossil.” The leaves contain various bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and lignans. Ginkgo extracts are primarily studied scientifically in relation to cognitive function, blood circulation, and forms of dementia.
Profile
- Botanical name: Ginkgo biloba L.
- German name: Ginkgo, ginkgo tree
- Plant family: Ginkgo family
- Occurrence: China, Japan, and Korea; also cultivated on plantations in Europe
- Growth habit: dioecious tree
- Height: 30 to 40 meters
- Trunk circumference: up to 4 meters
- Age: can reach up to 4,000 years
- Flowering season: April through May
- Part of the plant used: fresh leaves
- Special feature: is considered a “living fossil”
The ginkgo tree is a dioecious tree that grows to a height of 30 to 40 meters. This means that there are male and female trees. The trunk can reach a circumference of up to four meters. Ginkgo trees can live to an exceptionally old age; some individual trees can reach an age of up to 4,000 years. However, the first flowering does not occur until about 25 years after planting, while the tree can remain fertile for over 1,000 years.
The bark is light gray-brown and deeply furrowed. The leaves are either alternate on long, current-year shoots or clustered on short shoots. Their fan-shaped form is particularly characteristic. Depending on the age of the tree, the leaves may be lobed or entire. The leaf veins run parallel. This indicates a phylogenetic relationship with conifers.
In the fall, the leaves turn golden yellow and fall off. The female flowers consist of a short stalk with two ovules. They appear singly in the leaf axils or in clusters on the short shoots. The slightly larger male flowers are catkin-like and also appear on the short shoots.
Fertilization is carried out by free-swimming sperm and does not occur until about five months after pollination. The mature seeds are often mistakenly referred to as fruits. They develop into yellow spheres about three centimeters in diameter. Their resinous, fleshy outer skin has an unpleasant butyric acid odor and is removed before use.
Related Health Topics
- Concentration
- Forgetfulness
- Memory
- Mental Performance
- Atherosclerosis & Memory