Product Description
Product Name | Epimedium Extract |
Latin Name | Epimedium alpinum |
Color | Brown yellow fine powder |
Assay | 10% Icariin/Icariins |
Test method | HPLC |
Particle Size | 100% pass 80 mesh |
Heavy metals | ≤20ppm |
Loss on Drying | ≤5% |
Sulphated Ash | ≤5% |
Storage | In cool & dry place.Keep away from strong light and heat |
Shelf life | 2 years when properly stored |
Introduction | Epimedium, also known as barrenwort, bishop's hat, fairy wings, horny goat weed, or yin yang huo (Chinese), is a genus of flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae. The majority of the species are endemic to China, with smaller numbers elsewhere in Asia, and a few in the Mediterranean region. The species used as a dietary supplement is Epimedium grandiflorum. It contains icariin, which is a weak PDE5 inhibitor in vitro.
It is sold as a health supplement, usually in raw herb, tablet, or capsule form and sometimes blended with other supplements.
Herbal epimedium contains icariin, which has demonstrated in vitro PDE5 inhibitory properties. Sildenafil (an erectile dysfunction drug sold as Viagra) works by inhibiting the activity of PDE-5. Icariin is also purported to work by increasing levels of nitric oxide, which relax smooth muscle. It has been demonstrated to relax rabbit penile tissue by nitric oxide and PDE-5 activity. |