Current update on anticancer effects of icariin: A journey of the last ten years



Icariin (C₃₃H₄₀O₁₅), a prenylated flavonoid (Figure 1(Fig. 1)), is mainly found in Chinese medicinal herbs of the family Epimedium. It is reported for diverse pharmacological activities in different pathological conditions, including inflammation, oxidative stress, cardiac disease, autoimmune system disorders, neurodegeneration, osteoporosis, depression, and cancer (El-Shitany and Eid, 2019[5]; He et al., 2020[10]). Though various in vivo and in vitro studies have revealed the anticancer effect of icariin, only a few systematic reviews have been published (Tan et al., 2016[23]). As there is a scarcity of studies reflecting the therapeutic role of icariin, the present letter highlights the beneficial effects of icariin in the treatment of different cancer. Further, it will provide a future direction to researchers and hints at developing safe and efficient anticancer drugs (Table 1(Tab. 1); References in Table 1: Alhakamy et al., 2020[3], 2021[2]; Alhakamy, 2021[1]; Cheng et al., 2019[4]; Fan et al., 2016[6]; Fang et al., 2019[7]; Gu et al., 2017[8]; Hao et al., 2019[9]; Huang et al., 2019[11]; Kim et al., 2020[12]; Lei et al., 2020[13]; Li et al., 2010[16], 2014[17], 2015[15], 2021[14]; Ma et al., 2014[18]; Shi et al., 2014[19]; Song et al., 2020[20]; Sun and Zhang, 2021[21]; Sun et al., 2016[22]; Tian et al., 2018[24]; Wang et al., 2010[28], 2015[29], 2017[25], 2019[26], 2020[27]; Wu et al., 2019[30]; Yang and Li, 2020[32]; Yang et al., 2015[31]; Zhang et al., 2013[33], 2014[34]). Ageal mucosa is normal.

Figure 1. Chemical structure of icariin.

Table 1. An update on the protective effect of icariin in the treatment of different types of cancer.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.