Ginkgo Seed

Date: Dec 17, 2019
Source: This Site
Author: Site Editor

Semen Ginkgo
Ginkgo Seed
Baiguo

白果

Source
The mature seed of Ginkgo biloba L. (Fam. Ginkgoaceae).

Distribution
Mainly in Chinese provinces such as Guangxi, Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, Hubei, Liaoning and Jiangsu.

Harvest & Processing
Harvest seeds in late autumn after they ripen; remove fleshy exotesta; wash clean; dry under the sun; break shells to get kernels.

Description
Seed with exotesta removed: Ovoid (egg-shaped) or ellipsoid (elliptical in long-section and circular in cross-section); 1.5-3 cm long, 1-2.2 cm wide. Outer shell (i.e. mesosperm) bony, smooth; outer surface yellowish-white or pale brownish-yellow; base with an orbicular (round) punctiform (dot-like) protuberance; margin with 1 ridge on each side, occasionally with 3 ridges. Endotesta membranous, dull reddish-brown or pale yellowish-brown; kernel flattened and spherical, pale yellowish-green; endosperms plump, starchy, with clefts in the centre; embryo extremely small. Odourless; taste: slightly sweet, bitter.

Indications
1. Cough and dyspnoea
2. Leukorrhagia, white and turbid urine, urinary frequency, nocturnal emission

Chemical Composition
Contains ginkgotoxin, ginkgolic acid and bilobol.

Photos