Method for obtaining an extract of ginkgo biloba leaves essentially devoid of persistent organic pollutants, said method comprising the following steps: (a) extracting leaves of ginkgo biloba at a temperature of about 40 to 100 ° C with aqueous acetone, an aqueous alcohol 1 to 3 carbon atoms or anhydrous methanol (B) removing most of the organic solvent from the extract to a maximum content of 10% by weight, so as to add water during the last distillation steps, (c) diluting the remaining concentrated aqueous solution with water to a solids content of 5 to 25% by weight, allow to cool, while stirring, at a temperature below 25 ° C, let stand until a precipitate is formed and separating the resulting precipitate, consisting of lipophilic components which do not dissolve well in water, (d) adding ammonium sulfate to the remaining aqueous solution and extracting the solution formed with methylethylketone or a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and acetone. (E) concentrating the extract obtained to a solids content of 50 to 70% and dilute the concentrate obtained with water and ethanol such that a solution containing 50% by weight water and 50% by weight of ethanol was obtained with a content of solids of 10% by weight, (f) adding an aqueous solution of a lead salt to the solution thus obtained until a change in color from brown to amber occurs, and separating the precipitate formed, or used a polyamide instead of the lead salt, (g) extracting the remaining aqueous alcoholic solution with an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic solvent with a boiling point of 60 to 100 in order to preferentially separate the alkylphenol compounds, (h) concentrating the remaining aqueous alcoholic solution at reduced pressure to a maximum ethanol content of about 5% and ammonium sulfate added to a of content 20% by weight, (i) extracting the solution obtained with a mixture of meth pressure yl ethyl ketone and ethanol in a ratio of 8/2 to 5/5, preferably 6/4, (j) concentrating the resulting organic p
