Icariin and Its Metabolites as Potential Protective Phytochemicals Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 35 million people worldwide. As the prevalence of AD is dramatically rising, there is an earnest need for the identification of effective therapies. Available drug treatments only target the symptoms and do not halt the progression of this disorder; thus, the use of natural compounds has been proposed as an alternative intervention strategy. Icariin, a prenylated flavonoid, has several therapeutic effects, including osteoporosis prevention, sexual dysfunction amelioration, immune system modulation, and improvement of cardiovascular function. Substantial studies indicate that icariin may be beneficial to AD by reducing the production of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and inhibiting phosphodiesterase-5 activity. Moreover, increasing evidence has indicated that icariin exerts a protective role in AD also by limiting inflammation, oxidative stress and reducing potential risk factors for AD such as atherosclerosis. This mini-review discusses the multiple potential mechanisms of action of icariin on the pathobiology of AD including explanation regarding its bioavailability, metabolism and pharmacokinetic.

RETRACTED: Optimized Icariin Phytosomes Exhibit Enhanced Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis-Inducing Activities in Ovarian Cancer Cells

“…Traditionally, it has been used for erectile dysfunction in ancient Chinese medicine [4]. ICA is therapeutically effective in cases of atherosclerosis, as well as neurodegenerative disorders [3,5,6]. It demonstrates neuroprotective potential and was found to enhance memory in a model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in mice.…”

Icariin‐induced miR‐875‐5p attenuates epithelial‐mesenchymal transition by targeting hedgehog signaling in liver fibrosis

“…Icariin is a natural flavonoid glycoside isolated from plants belonging to the genus Epimedium . Icariin exhibits wide pharmacological potential including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐angiogenic, and anti‐cancer properties . According to our knowledge, only one paper demonstrated that icariin treatment induced human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUMSCs) migration and had hepatoprotective effects on the CCL 4 ‐treated mice .…”

Icariin induces apoptosis by suppressing autophagy in tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cell line MCF-7/TAM

“…Icariin (molecular formula: C 33 H 40 O 15 , molecular weight: 676.67 g/mol), a natural flavonoid glycoside that extracted from the traditional Chinese medical plant Herba Epimedii [17], has been found to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidepressant and aphrodisiac effects [18, 19]. The most promising effect of icariin at cardiovascular level is the promotion of stem cell differentiation into beating cardiomyocytes, making it apply in cardiac cell therapy [20, 21].…”