Research progress of main components from Epimedii Folium (Yinyanghuo) in the treatment of male reproductive dysfunction and application & development status of Epimedii Folium.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Epimedii Folium (Yinyanghuo) is a commonly used Chinese herb that plays a significant role in a lot of herbal formulae used to treat sexual dysfunction. Recently, an increasing amount of research on Epimedii Folium related to male reproductive dysfunction has been reported, and the exploration and application of Epimedium are also expanding rapidly. Flavonoids make up the vast majority of the chemical composition of Epimedii Folium, with small amounts of icarsides series, alkaloids, polysaccharide, volatile oils and other natural compounds. Among them, icariin (ICA) has the highest concentration and the most potent effects on male reproductive dysfunction, icariin II (ICA II), total flavones and polysaccharides from Epimedium have also been reported.

Aim Of Study: In this review, we focus on the research progress of the main components from Epimedii Folium in the treatment of male reproductive dysfunction, as well as the application and development status of Epimedii Folium in China, aiming to provide ideas for future in-depth research and product development of Epimedii Folium.

Methods: On the one hand, we collected literature published from 2003 to May 2024 from various databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Database of Chinese Sci-Tech Periodicals (VIP), Wanfang Database, Web of Science, Elsevier ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) of the USA. On the other hand, we retrieved the data query system of the National Medical Products Administration, Special Food Information Query Platform of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Yaozhi.com, Baidu, China Patent Net, as well as JD.com and Tmall, categorized all epimedia-related products sold in China into medicine, health food, dietary supplements, and animal feed.

Results: A total of 3578 studies were obtained, of which 161 were selected for further analysis. Subsequently, the current status of the main components of Epimedii Folium in the treatment of male reproductive dysfunction was summarized in three sections: research progress on the chemical components of Epimedium, research progress on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of the main active ingredients, and development and application of the main ingredients of Epimedium.

Conclusion: The flavonoids in Epimedii Folium have a beneficial effect on male reproductive dysfunction. However, to date, the primary components of Epimedii Folium have not been directly developed into clinical drugs for treating this condition. This may be due to the lack of a systematic evaluation of their safety. In the field of dietary supplements, products developed using Epimedii Folium as raw materials often face challenges such as low added value and limited international recognition, which hinder its development in the global reproductive health market. We believe that with more in-depth and systematic basic research, Epimedii Folium can make significant contributions to human reproductive health.