A Comprehensive Review on Chemistry and Contribution of Chinese Herb Epimedium brevicornum Maxim in Medicine

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has been used for more than 2,000 years and it is effective to use Epimedium Brevicornum (EB) Maxim, one of the Chinese herbs belonging to the family Berberidaceae is of major use because of its bioactive compound Icariin (ICA).Objective: This review aims on providing a collective report of the description, taxonomy, therapeutic uses, bioactive compounds, and the different pharmacological activities of the plant EB for future research.Methods: Data was obtained from various informative tools like PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and the botanical information sites for different plants.Results: This literature review shows that the Chinese herb EB possesses various therapeutic effects and can be used in the prophylaxis of different ailments. The extract of different parts of EB contains many bioactive compounds such as phenols, flavonoids, and lignans. They show a wide range of pharmacological activities which include anti-inflammatory, anti-infertility, anti-cancer, and effective against Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. ICA was found to be the major constituent of this herbal plant aiding in almost every pharmacological activity.Conclusion: The review covers every activity the plant holds and indicates that the plant is a useful source in eradicating a variety of ailments. Researchers have performed in vitro and in vivo experiments to explore plant capabilities. The plant could be of very much use in botanical and pharmacological fields. For experts aiming to research EB, this review could be a great source of information.