{"doi":"10.3389/fphar.2024.1364030","title":"Effects and safety of Ginkgo biloba on depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis","abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold> Because depression is a major factor contributing to the global disease burden, we tried to analyze the effects and safety of <jats:italic>Ginkgo biloba</jats:italic> (GKB) on patients with depression.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold> We conducted a literature search for articles published between January 2002 and May 2022 in seven online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the effects and safety of GKB on patients with depression, including subjective and objective indicators of depression evaluation.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> In total, 21 eligible articles with nine indicators among 2074 patients were included. Several outcomes showed a difference, and the GKB group had better results than the control group, including the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), after taking GKB for 4 weeks (MD = −2.86, 95%CI [−4.27, −1.46], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), 6 weeks (mean difference (MD) = −3.36, 95%CI [−4.05, −2.67], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), and 8 weeks (MD = −4.58, 95% CI [−6.11, −3.05], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), modified Barthel index (MBI) (MD = 14.86, 95%CI [12.07, 17.64], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian stroke scale (MESSS) (MD = −4.57, 95%CI [−6.34, −2.79], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (MD = 16.35, 95%CI [7.34, 25.36], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (MD = 4.57, 95%CI [3.08, 6.05], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), and clinical efficacy (risk ratio, RR = 1.24, 95%CI [1.17, 1.32], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01). However, there were no differences in adverse events between GKB and controls.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold> In conclusion, the main finding was that patients treated with GKB had better MBI, MESSS, BDNF, 5-HT, and HAMD values after 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks than the control group. GKB might reduce the risk of depression or depressive symptoms with safe clinical efficacy.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Systematic Review Registration:</jats:bold> identifier (INPLASY2023100052)</jats:p>","journal":"Frontiers in Pharmacology","year":2024,"id":613301,"datarank":0.26876392038420827,"base_score":1.791759469228055,"endowment":1.791759469228055,"self_citation_contribution":0.26876392038420827,"citation_network_contribution":0.0,"self_endowment_contribution":0.26876392038420827,"citer_contribution":0.0,"corpus_percentile":null,"corpus_rank":null,"citation_count":5,"citer_count":0,"citers_with_citation_signal":0,"citers_with_endowment":0,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"is_dataset":false,"is_dataset_confidence":null,"is_data_producer":false,"deposit_databanks":null,"is_oa":false,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"has_version_chain":false,"published_date":null,"fair_score":null,"fair_percentile":null,"algorithm_id":"datarank_citation_only_1hop_v6","ranking_scope":"data_only","authors":[{"id":180562,"name":"Xiaojing Sun","orcid":null,"position":1,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1579934,"name":"Lingli Yang","orcid":null,"position":2,"is_corresponding":false},{"id":1579933,"name":"Jingya Lin","orcid":null,"position":0,"is_corresponding":false}],"reference_count":0,"raw_metadata":{"has_enrichment":true,"resolved":true,"title":"Effects and safety of Ginkgo biloba on depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis","abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold> Because depression is a major factor contributing to the global disease burden, we tried to analyze the effects and safety of <jats:italic>Ginkgo biloba</jats:italic> (GKB) on patients with depression.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:</jats:bold> We conducted a literature search for articles published between January 2002 and May 2022 in seven online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the effects and safety of GKB on patients with depression, including subjective and objective indicators of depression evaluation.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> In total, 21 eligible articles with nine indicators among 2074 patients were included. Several outcomes showed a difference, and the GKB group had better results than the control group, including the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), after taking GKB for 4 weeks (MD = −2.86, 95%CI [−4.27, −1.46], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), 6 weeks (mean difference (MD) = −3.36, 95%CI [−4.05, −2.67], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), and 8 weeks (MD = −4.58, 95% CI [−6.11, −3.05], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), modified Barthel index (MBI) (MD = 14.86, 95%CI [12.07, 17.64], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), modified Edinburgh-Scandinavian stroke scale (MESSS) (MD = −4.57, 95%CI [−6.34, −2.79], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (MD = 16.35, 95%CI [7.34, 25.36], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) (MD = 4.57, 95%CI [3.08, 6.05], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01), and clinical efficacy (risk ratio, RR = 1.24, 95%CI [1.17, 1.32], <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &amp;lt; 0.01). However, there were no differences in adverse events between GKB and controls.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold> In conclusion, the main finding was that patients treated with GKB had better MBI, MESSS, BDNF, 5-HT, and HAMD values after 4 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8 weeks than the control group. GKB might reduce the risk of depression or depressive symptoms with safe clinical efficacy.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Systematic Review Registration:</jats:bold> identifier (INPLASY2023100052)</jats:p>","is_dataset_classified":null,"base_score":1.791759469228055,"endowment":1.791759469228055,"datacite_reuse_total":0,"file_count":0,"downloads":0,"views":0,"has_version_chain":false,"is_dataset":false,"is_oa":false,"pmid":"38562465","pmcid":"PMC10982363","openalex_id":"https://openalex.org/W4392925567","authors":[],"funders":[],"total_grants":0,"fwci":1.0796,"citation_percentile":0.70886076,"influential_citations":0,"citation_trend":[{"year":2025,"count":4},{"year":2026,"count":1}],"oa_status":"gold","license":"cc-by","oa_locations":[{"url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1364030/pdf","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1364030/pdf","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1364030/full","host_type":"publisher"},{"url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1364030","host_type":"journal"},{"url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38562465","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/10982363","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://doaj.org/article/c374cb2bb1f644eea9125bdb5ebb8914","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10982363/pdf/fphar-15-1364030.pdf","host_type":"repository"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC10982363","host_type":"Europe_PMC"},{"url":"https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC10982363?pdf=render","host_type":"Europe_PMC"}],"fields_of_study":["Ginkgo biloba and Cashew Applications","Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments","Neurological Disorders and Treatments"],"mesh_terms":[],"keywords":["Cochrane Library","Internal medicine","Meta-analysis","Medicine","Depression (economics)","Ginkgo biloba","Web of science","Hamd","Traditional medicine","Pharmacology","Significant difference","Depression","Depressive Symptoms","Gkb"],"sdg_mappings":[{"sdg_number":0,"sdg_label":"Industry, innovation and infrastructure"}],"linked_datasets":[],"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"database_accessions":[],"source":"live","citation_network_status":"fetched"},"created_at":"2026-08-02T07:31:42.640511Z","pmid":null,"pmcid":null,"fwci":null,"citation_percentile":null,"influential_citations":0,"oa_status":null,"license":null,"views":0,"total_file_size_bytes":0,"version_count":0,"fair_f":null,"fair_a":null,"fair_i":null,"fair_r":null,"fair_zscore":null,"fair_rationale":null,"fair_model":null,"fair_agent_version":null,"fair_fulltext_source":null,"fair_has_llm":null,"fair_computed_at":null,"clinical_trials":[],"software_tools":[],"db_accessions":[],"linked_datasets":[],"topics":[]}