Epimedium: A Versatile Player in Bone Tissue Engineering
4 affiliations
- 1College of Acumox and Tuina (College of Rehabilitation Medicine), Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- 2The First Clinical Medical School, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China
- 3School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
- 4College of Medical Information Engineering, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
Abstract
Epimedium is a traditional herb that has been investigated for its potential osteogenic and bone-regenerative effects, yet systematic analyses of its multi-component, multi-target mechanisms in bone metabolism and tissue engineering applications are limited. To address this knowledge gap, this narrative review systematically summarizes more than 20 bioactive constituents extracted from various parts of major medicinal Epimedium species. We elaborate on their pivotal roles in modulating osteogenic differentiation, suppressing osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption, regulating inflammatory responses, exerting antioxidant effects, promoting angiogenesis, demonstrating antitumor activity, exerting chondroprotective effects, and exhibiting antibacterial activity during bone defect repair. Furthermore, we highlight recent advancements and current trends in applying these bioactive constituents within the field of bone tissue engineering. Additionally, we compared the osteogenic and osteoprotective potentials of three metabolically related flavonoids (icariin, icaritin, and icariside II). Network pharmacology was utilized to elucidate their multi-target mechanisms in modulating bone metabolism, providing insights for future mechanistic studies. Despite the long-standing clinical use and extensive scientific investigation of Epimedium, this review identifies several challenges associated with its application in bone tissue engineering and offers constructive recommendations to overcome these limitations.
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BibTeX
@article{xu2026epimedium,
title = {{Epimedium: A Versatile Player in Bone Tissue Engineering}},
author = {Tianyou Xu and Rao Zhang and Jiaxing Hu and Junnan Jiang and Longjie Qiao and Sijie Deng and Xinyang Li and Wenjun Zhang and Zhengxin Zhou and Kui Xu and Caiyun Mu},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219579},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9579},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epimedium: A Versatile Player in Bone Tissue Engineering
AU - Tianyou Xu
AU - Rao Zhang
AU - Jiaxing Hu
AU - Junnan Jiang
AU - Longjie Qiao
AU - Sijie Deng
AU - Xinyang Li
AU - Wenjun Zhang
AU - Zhengxin Zhou
AU - Kui Xu
AU - Caiyun Mu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219579
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9579
AB - Epimedium is a traditional herb that has been investigated for its potential osteogenic and bone-regenerative effects, yet systematic analyses of its multi-component, multi-target mechanisms in bone metabolism and tissue engineering applications are limited. To address this knowledge gap, this narrative review systematically summarizes more than 20 bioactive constituents extracted from various parts of major medicinal Epimedium species. We elaborate on their pivotal roles in modulating osteogenic differentiation, suppressing osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption, regulating inflammatory responses, exerting antioxidant effects, promoting angiogenesis, demonstrating antitumor activity, exerting chondroprotective effects, and exhibiting antibacterial activity during bone defect repair. Furthermore, we highlight recent advancements and current trends in applying these bioactive constituents within the field of bone tissue engineering. Additionally, we compared the osteogenic and osteoprotective potentials of three metabolically related flavonoids (icariin, icaritin, and icariside II). Network pharmacology was utilized to elucidate their multi-target mechanisms in modulating bone metabolism, providing insights for future mechanistic studies. Despite the long-standing clinical use and extensive scientific investigation of Epimedium, this review identifies several challenges associated with its application in bone tissue engineering and offers constructive recommendations to overcome these limitations.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -