Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba L.Ginkgoaceae // leaf · seeds in food traditions
Overview
Plant parts
leaf, seeds in food traditions
Known constituents
ginkgolides, bilobalide, flavone glycosides, ginkgotoxin in seeds
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include ginkgolides; bilobalide; flavone glycosides; ginkgotoxin in seeds; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Ginkgo has been used for memory; circulation; asthma; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (memory; circulation; asthma), the evidence assessment is contradicted: Contradicted for preventing dementia; limited/mixed for cognitive symptoms and claudication.
HIGH · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is leaf; seeds in food traditions; traditional and modern forms include infusion/tea, tincture, powder/capsule, extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Cats & dogs
- High risk
Female ginkgo trees and their seeds contain ginkgotoxin, which is considered toxic to pets if ingested and may cause vomiting, irritability, and seizures.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Female tree seeds · HIGH · poison_control_database · Fall Plants: Hazardous or Harmless? - ASPCA
- Caution
Large ingestions of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions may cause seizures. Signs generally begin 1–12 hours after ingestion, and gastrointestinal signs usually resolve within hours.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · herbal supplement or combined supplement · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...
- Caution
Large ginkgo ingestions may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions may cause seizures.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · ginkgo supplement, alone or in combination products · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...
- Caution
Large ingestions of ginkgo can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions can cause seizures. Clinical signs develop within 1–12 hours after ingestion.
Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Ginkgo biloba sold alone or in combination with other herbal supplements · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements
- Low concern
Male ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) are considered non-toxic to pets.
Intrinsic toxicity · UNKNOWN · Whole male tree · HIGH · poison_control_database · Fall Plants: Hazardous or Harmless? - ASPCA
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Bleeding concern; seizures from seeds or high ginkgotoxin exposure; allergy. Contraindications/cautions include Seizure disorders; perioperative use.
HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potential additive bleeding with anticoagulants/antiplatelets; possible anticonvulsant interaction.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Insufficient pregnancy/lactation safety; bleeding concern in pregnancy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Female ginkgo trees and their seeds contain ginkgotoxin, which is considered toxic to pets if ingested and may cause vomiting, irritability, and seizures.
HIGH · poison_control_database · Fall Plants: Hazardous or Harmless? - ASPCA
The page does not distinguish severity or clinical presentation between cats and dogs.
Male ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) are considered non-toxic to pets.
HIGH · poison_control_database · Fall Plants: Hazardous or Harmless? - ASPCA
The page does not specify separate routes, preparations, or clinical signs for cats versus dogs.
Large ingestions of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions may cause seizures. Signs generally begin 1–12 hours after ingestion, and gastrointestinal signs usually resolve within hours.
HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...
The page does not specify differential susceptibility between dogs and cats.
Large ginkgo ingestions may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions may cause seizures.
HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...
The source does not distinguish dogs from cats or identify a toxic constituent.
Large ingestions of ginkgo can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and agitation; very large ingestions can cause seizures. Clinical signs develop within 1–12 hours after ingestion.
HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements
No toxic constituent, numeric threshold, or cat-versus-dog difference is stated.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- whole herbHigh risk
- concentrated extractCaution
- tinctureCaution
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
Dogs
- whole herbHigh risk
- concentrated extractCaution
- tinctureCaution
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
Identity
- Possible adulterantJapanese pagoda tree
Extracts of Japanese pagoda tree have been detected or inferred in commercial ginkgo products; genistein is not native to ginkgo leaf.
Why it matters: Adulteration changes the expected flavonoid/terpene profile and can defeat marker-only assays.
HIGH · Chemical Authentication of Botanical Ingredients: A Review of Commercial Herbal Products
- Synonym
GBIF resolves Salisburia adiantifolia Sm. as a synonym of Ginkgo biloba. The older name still appears in herbal and taxonomic literature.
HIGH · GBIF Species Match API
Botanical synonym
Salisburia adiantifolia Sm.
Taxonomic identity note
- Ginkgo is treated here as Ginkgo biloba L. in the family Ginkgoaceae; recorded older names include Salisburia adiantifolia Sm..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
poison_control_database
- NCCIH Herbs at a Glance3 claims
NCCIH fact sheet
NIH LiverTox monograph
veterinary_manual
veterinary_manual
veterinary_manual
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
EMA monograph
WHO monograph
- GBIF Species Match API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database
peer-reviewed authentication review