Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on the embryo-fetal development in Wistar rats.
BACKGROUND
Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is an herbal medicine used for treating neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular insufficiency, peripheral arterial occlusive disease, and also vestibular disturbance. Some components of GBE have presented estrogenic effects and, in a previous study, high dosages of GBE caused intra-uterine growth retardation in fetuses of Wistar rats treated during the fetogenesis period.


METHODS
Pregnant Wistar rats were treated, through gavage, with different dosages of aqueous GBE (3.5, 7.0, and 14.0 mg/Kg/day), during the tubal transit and implantation period. Rats were killed on the 15th day of pregnancy and the following parameters were evaluated: clinical symptoms of maternal toxicity; maternal body weight; feed and water intake; maternal liver, kidney, and ovary weights; number of corpora lutea; implants per group ratio; pre- and post-implantation loss per group ratio; live fetuses mean; dead fetuses percentage; fetus and placenta weight per offspring ratio; and fetal external malformation.


RESULTS
No significant alteration was found for both the maternal and embryonic parameters evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
The GBE treatment in pregnant Wistar rats, during the tubal transit and implantation period, caused no toxic effect on the maternal organism and did not induce embryonic death, growth retardation, and/or fetal malformations.
Fernandes
Eduardo Siqueira
ES
Centro de Biologia da Reprodução, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
Pinto
Rafael Moraes
RM
de Paula Reis
João Evangelista
JE
de Oliveira Guerra
Martha
M
Peters
Vera Maria
VM
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba / Q000737:chemistry*; D018811:Maternal Exposure; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013723:Teratogens / Q000145:classification / Q000633:toxicity*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D013723:Teratogens