Bifidogenic effect of Taraxacum officinale root

431 Ginkgo biloba Linn. extract, clinically referred to as EGb 761, is a very popular over-the-counter herbal dietary supplement in the United States. It is ingested primarily to enhance mental focus mainly because of its purported reports of being able to delay the onset of the loss of cognitive function and improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. A standardized EGb 761: (50:1) contains on average, 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones and much of the herb's effect on cognition has been attributed to the antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of the flavonoid fraction. Recently it has been reported that ingestion of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761): (a) significantly reduced collagen-induced platelet aggregation and thromboxane B 2 (TXB 2 ) production in both non-diabetic individuals as well as those with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), (b) significantly reduced platelet malondialdehyde (MDA), an index of lipid peroxidation, in non-diabetic subjects. In a study conducted by researchers of USA revealed that ingestion of EGb 761 (120mg daily for 3 months), significantly decreased platelet MDA-thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) (41 ± 9pmol/10 platelets versus 30 ± 11pmol/10 platelets) (P< 0.005) in T2DM subjects with normal cholesterol levels (total cholesterol, 164 ± 22mg/dl; age, 54 ± 9 years; BMI, 35.0 ± 8.8kg/m, n = 12). In T2DM subjects with high cholesterol (total cholesterol, 218 ± 15mg/dl; age, 52 ± 5 years; BMI, 36.2 ± 6.6kg/m, n = 7), EGb 761 ingestion reduced the platelet TBARS from 29 ± 9 to 22 ± 9pmol/10 platelets (P< 0.04). Because ingestion of EGb 761 did not alter platelet counts it is concluded that EGb 761, probably due to the flavonoid fraction, reduced the TBARS by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX)-1-mediated arachidonic acid oxygenation or by reducing the arachidonic acid pool. This is likely to lead to a reduction of platelet hyperactivity, a significant contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease in T2DM patients. Because of other reported beneficial properties of EGb 761, such as stimulation of pancreatic β-cell function in T2DM subjects with pancreatic exhaustion, it appears that T2DM subjects might benefit from ingesting EGb 761 as a dietary supplement [Kudolo George B, Delaney Diana and Blodgett Janet, Short-term oral ingestion of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) reduces malondialdehyde levels in washed platelets of type 2 diabetic subjects, Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2005, 68 (1), 29-38]. Bifidogenic effect of Taraxacum officinale root