Ginkgo biloba impairs tumorigenic potential of malignant cells in the liver through deregulation of multiple molecular pathways

Background and aims: Ginkgo biloba (EGb761) is a widely used botanical drug with diverse biological properties. Several reports indicate that EGb761 confers both preventive effects as well as anti-tumorigenic properties in a variety of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We here evaluate the functional and mechanistic effects of EGb761 on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells as well as untransformed hepatocytes. Methods: Human hepatoma cell lines, primary human HCC cells and immortalized human hepatocytes were exposed to various concentrations (0 – 1000 ug/ml) of EGb761, a well-defined and quantifi…