Clinical and genomic safety of treatment with Ginkgo biloba L. leaf extract (IDN 5933/Ginkgoselect®Plus) in elderly: a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial [GiBiEx].

Background: Numerous health benefits have been attributed to the Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GBLE), one of the most extensively used phytopharmaceutical drugs worldwide. Recently, concerns of the safety of the extract have been raised after a report from US National Toxicology Program (NTP) claimed high doses of GBLE increased liver and thyroid cancer incidence in mice and rats. A safety study has been designed to assess, in a population of elderly residents in nursing homes, clinical and genomic risks associated to GBLE treatment.

Cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and gene expression changes elicited by exposure of human hepatic cells to Ginkgo biloba leaf extract.

The use of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract as nutraceutical is becoming increasingly common. As a consequence, the definition of a reliable toxicological profile is a priority for its safe utilization. Recently, contrasting data have been reported on the carcinogenic potential of Ginkgo biloba extract in rodent liver.

The importance of disease prevalence in assessing the diagnostic value of a test: endoscopic markers in celiac disease.

Background/aims: We evaluated the diagnostic variability and reproducibility of endoscopic signs in two populations with a different pretest likelihood of celiac disease (CD).

Methods: We recruited 289 CD patients (both adults and children) in a multicenter prospective study. Group 1 (high risk) included 111 patients referred for positive serology.

Indenopyridazinone derivatives as potential antisecretory and antiulcer agents.

A series of substituted indenopyridazinones (4b-h) has been synthesized and tested for their antisecretory and antiulcer activity, in comparison with ranitidine, as reference drug. While the monomethoxy (4b-d), as well as the benzyloxy (4f) and the 6,9-dimethoxy (4g) derivatives were found to be devoid of overt antisecretory properties, the 9-methoxy (4e) was weakly active. The most interesting compound of this class was the 7,8-dimethoxy substituted (4h), which at an oral dose of 30 mg/kg still retains a significant activity.

Synthesis and bone resorption effect of alkoxy-substituted xanthones.

A topological modification of ipriflavone 1, a recent antiosteoporotic drug, is described. The flavone moiety of 1 has been replaced by a xanthone one. Among the new derivatives, the 3,6-diisopropoxyxanthone (2a) has shown significant bone resorption inhibition in in vitro and in vivo tests.