Cholesterol ginkgo

The carbon skeleton of isoprenoids is derived from the branched C5 skeleton of isoprene. Isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate represent the biologic equivalents of isoprene. From research on cholesterol biosynthesis in liver tissues and on ergosterol in yeast, mevalonate was accepted as the universal precursor of isoprenoids. However this assertion is inaccurate. Incorporation of labeled acetate and glucose isotopomers into bacterial isoprenoids and into diterpenes of ginkgo embryos indicated fortuitously the existence of an alternative mevalonate-independent route. Its full elucidation required experiments using and H-labeled precursors followed by extensive nuclear magnetic resonance analyses as well as a combination of biochemical and molecular biology methods. These additional studies revealed a complete set of novel unsuspected enzymes. 

Lin, S.J., Yang, T.H., Chen, Y.H., Chen, J.W., Kwok, C.F., Shiao, M.S., and Chen, Y.L. (2002) Effects of Ginkgo biloba Extract on the Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells In Vitro and on Intimal Thickening and Interleukin-ip Expression After Balloon Injury in Cholesterol-Fed Rabbits In Vivo,... 

Yao ZX, Han Z, Drieu K, Papadopoulos V (2004) Ginkgo biloba extract (Egb 761) inhibits beta-amyloid production by lowering free cholesterol levels. J Nufr Biochem 15(12) 749-756. doi 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2004.06.008... 

Ginkgo s inhibitory effect on the production of amyloid-beta protein has also been mediated by other mechanisms, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibition, modulation of amyloid protein oligomeric species, and lowering of free cholesterol levels." ... 

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