Mechanism of Action of Main Active Components of Epimedii Folium in Treatment of Common Andrological Diseases： A Review
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20260195
- VernacularTitle:淫羊藿主要活性成分治疗男科常见疾病作用机制的研究进展
- Author:
Tao ZHANG
1
;
Maobin YU
1
;
Jinkun QI
1
;
Bailong JIANG
1
;
Meijun LIU
2
;
Ziyang MA
2
;
Peihai ZHANG
2
Author Information
1. Clinical Medical College，Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM），Chengdu 610072，China
2. Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM，Chengdu 610072， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Epimedii Folium;
icariin;
active component;
erectile dysfunction;
male infertility;
prostate cancer;
research progress
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2026;32(14):337-346
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Andrological diseases have become an important public health problem threatening men's health worldwide， which significantly affects the quality of life of patients and brings a heavy disease burden. Western medicine often faces the dilemma of obvious side effects and limited efficacy. Traditional Chinese medicine has unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of andrological diseases and has accumulated rich clinical experience. Epimedii Folium， as a traditional Chinese medicine for strengthening kidney and Yang， exerts a key therapeutic effect on andrology diseases through multi-component synergy， multi-target regulation， and multi-pathway intervention. Recent studies have found that the main active components of Epimedii Folium， such as icariin， icariside， and icaritin， are the key material basis for the treatment of andrological diseases. The active components of Epimedii Folium can play a role in common andrological diseases such as erectile dysfunction， male infertility， and prostate cancer by regulating the activity of the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate （NO/cGMP） pathway， participating in oxidative stress response， regulating the secretion of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis hormones， improving spermatogenic dysfunction， and inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. However， the systematic action network and molecular mechanisms of the active components of Epimedii Folium have not been fully elucidated， thereby limiting its potential for clinical translation and application. In the future， it is necessary to combine cutting-edge technologies such as metabolomics， single-cell sequencing， and targeted nanoscale drug delivery systems， strengthening the research on the compatibility rules of active components and organ-specific delivery， providing a scientific basis for the development of innovative andrology traditional Chinese medicine formulas with international competitiveness， and promoting the innovation and breakthrough of andrology disease treatment modes.
