Icariin is the principal prenylated flavonol glycoside isolated from the aerial parts of Epimedium brevicornu and related species. It is extracted using ethanol-water systems and purified by preparative HPLC or column chromatography.
Icariin demonstrates PDE5 inhibitory activity similar in mechanism to pharmaceutical vasodilators, along with osteoblast-stimulating, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties. Its metabolites icariside II and icaritin show even greater biological potency. Commercially, icariin is used in men's health supplements, bone density support products, and pharmaceutical research applications.