The Contents of Terpene Trilactone and Flavonoid in Leaves of Seedlings from Ancient Female Ginkgo Trees in China

Flavonoids and terpene trilactones, especially, ginkgo flavonglycosides, ginkgolides and bilobalides in leaves of ginkgo trees, need to be studied for effective application of these active components with high medical and health-care values. This study was aimed to provide scientific bases for genealogies selection and harvest season confirmation for Ginkgo biloba. A high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC-ELSD) was developed to determine the contents of terpene trilactone and flavonoid of 36 ancient G. biloba genealogies from 19 provinces in China. The study indicated that the content gradually increased from April to August, and thereafter declined. Analysis of variance indicated that the contents of terpene trilactone, flavonoids, and their respective components had significant difference among 36 genealogies. The cluster analysis showed that No. 72 (Xing'an, Guangxi), No. 58 (Youyang, Chongqing), No. 82 (Rugao, Jiangsu), No. 123 (Huixian, Gansu), No. 99 (Dujun, Guizhou), No. 10 (Tai'an, Shandong) and No. 133 (Mentougou, Beijing) genealogies have higher content of terpene trilactone and flavonoid. These results can help us to select superior variety containing high content of terpene trilactone and flavonoid.