Chemical Constituents, Quality Control, and Bioactivity of Epimedii Folium (Yinyanghuo)

• Published in: The American journal of Chinese medicine (1979) Vol. 43; no. 5; p. 783
• Main Authors: Chen, Xiao-Jia, Tang, Zheng-Hai, Li, Xi-Wen, Xie, Cai-Xiang, Lu, Jin-Jian, Wang, Yi-Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore 2015
• Subjects: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Epimedium - chemistry; Flavonoids - chemistry; Flavonoids - isolation & purification; Flavonoids - pharmacology; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; Neuroprotective Agents; Osteogenesis - drug effects; Phytotherapy; Quality Control; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological - drug therapy; Epimedium; Chemical Constituents; Flavonoids; Bioactivity; Review; Quality Control
• ISSN: 0192-415X
• DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x15500494

Epimedii Folium (Yinyanghuo in Chinese) is one of the most commonly used traditional Chinese medicines. Its main active components are flavonoids, which exhibit multiple biological activities, such as promotion of bone formation and sexual function, protection of the nervous system, and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Flavonoids also show anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Various effective methods, including genetic and chemical approaches, have been developed for the quality control of Yinyanghuo. In this review, the studies conducted in the last decade about the chemical constituents, quality control, and bioactivity of Yinyanghuo are summarized and discussed.