Molecular Plant Breeding 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 287-293 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 288 Flavonoids have significant effects in regulating cardiac and cerebral blood flow, delaying neurodegenerative diseases, and improving cognitive function (Liu et al., 2022). Terpene lactones mainly play a role in regulating blood circulation, antioxidation and neuroprotection (Isah, 2015; Shahrajabian et al., 2021). In addition, Ginkgo biloba leaves and seeds contain various vitamins, minerals and polysaccharides, which also increase its medicinal value (Noor-E-Tabassum et al., 2022; Biernacka et al., 2023). Figure 1 Bioactivity of G. bilobabiflavonoids (Adopted from Šamec et al., 2022) 2.2 Ornamental traits: leaf morphology, autumn coloration, adaptability to urban environments The leaves of Ginkgo biloba are fan-shaped and turn golden yellow in autumn, having a high ornamental value. Its leaf shapes are diverse. Some varieties can turn yellow in both spring and autumn and have a longer viewing period (Li et al., 2025). Ginkgo biloba can also tolerate pests and diseases, air pollution, drought and poor soil, and is very suitable for urban greening and street trees (Barker and Elston, 2022; Shareena and Kumar, 2022). Male plants are more popular in gardens because they have no unpleasant fruit smell. Ginkgo biloba has a long lifespan and often appears in historic cities and gardens. It is both a symbol of culture and a symbol of ecology (Isah, 2015; Šamec et al., 2022). 2.3 Dual-use breeding goals: balancing medicinal quality and ornamental value Nowadays, the goal of Ginkgo biloba breeding is gradually shifting towards a balance between medicinal and ornamental uses. The focus of medicinal breeding is to increase the content of flavonoids and terpene lactones to enhance functions such as antioxidation and neuroprotection (Liu et al., 2022; Noor-E-Tabassum et al., 2022; Biernacka et al., 2023). Ornamental breeding focuses on leaf color, leaf shape, tree posture and environmental adaptability (Isah, 2015). The current difficulty lies in how to combine high medicinal components with excellent ornamental traits by using molecular breeding and genomic selection. In the future, more research is needed on the synthesis mechanism of medicinal components and the genetic basis of ornamental traits, so as to promote the comprehensive utilization of Ginkgo biloba in medicine and horticulture (Shareena and Kumar, 2022; Li et al., 2025). 3 Traditional Breeding Approaches 3.1 Selection and propagation of elite germplasm The screening of superior germplasm has always been a core link in the traditional breeding of Ginkgo biloba. Wang et al. (2023) and Yao et al. (2023) established a core germplasm bank with strong representativeness through genetic diversity analysis of natural populations and cultivated varieties. These germplasm banks retain rich alleles and genetic diversity, providing important resources for the enhancement of medicinal components and
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