The invention suggests a novel medical use of pure bilobalide or Ginkgo biloba extract with an increased bilobalide content as an anxiolytic or antidepressant.

The invention refers to the treatment of lyso-paf-mediated diseases with paf antagonists and a procedure for determining their efficacy. According to the invention for treating a disease caused by lyso paf (1-O-alkyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphocholine) as the precursor and metabolit of paf is found in elevated amounts in the liquor of mental and/or inflammatory diseases. Lyso paf regulates via its own receptor the paf receptors on human neutrophils which are then inhibited by paf antagonists. According to the invention for treating a mental and/or inflammatory diseases caused by lyso paf an effective amount of at least one paf antagonist is administered to a subject requiring said treatment, wherein the paf antagonist is a hydrophilic or non-hydrophilic triazolothieno-diazepine or a homologue thereof, a ginkgolide, a ginkgolide mixture or a synthetic ginkgolide derivate, or an analogue of the paf or a mixture with/of these compounds.

The invention relates to a combination preparation, in particular for the treatment of nerve cell and nerve fibre diseases and also for the prophylaxis and treatment of circulatory disturbances, the combination preparation comprising at least the active substances Extr. Ginkgo bilobae (ginkgo flavonglycosides) and at least one substance of the group: folic acid and its derivatives, in particular folinic acid; .alpha.-lipoic acid and its derivatives; and all the vitamin-B groups and their derivatives. Investigations have been successfully carried out in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, hyperpathic polyneuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The invention refers to the production of substances which prevent and treat disorders caused by pathological cell differentiation leading to enhanced LA-paf effect and production. The invention refers to simple methods to test and produce LA-paf antagonists and paf antagonists against very high affinity paf receptors on endothelial cells. According to the invention genes producing endothelial paf receptors in endothelial cells during differentiation for example in response to insulin can be transferred from adherent endothelial cell lines to soluble cells. Endothelial cell lines for example immortalized endothelial cells can also be cultured on soluble particles for screening procedures. Substances which prevent and inhibit very high affinity paf receptors and LA-paf production antagonize pathological differentiation, irritation, aging and death of cells. The antagonists can be administered for example with food.

The invention concerns the use of Ginkgo biloba extracts, and in particular Ginkgo biloba extracts comprising 20 to 30% of flavoneglycosides, 2.5 to 4.5% in total of gingkolides A, B, C and J, 2 to 4% of bilobalide, less than 10% of proanthocyanidins and at least 10 ppm of alkylphenol type compounds, for preparing a medicine for treating sarcopenia.