Icaritin Catalog No. CSN13947

Synonyms: Anhydroicaritin

Icaritin is a flavonoid that can enhance osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and display a role of estrogen-like activities. Icaritin could be extracted from the roots of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim with anti-cancer effects.

Icaritin is a prenylflavonoid derivative from Epimedium Genusis. Icaritin potently inhibited proliferation of K562 cells (IC50 was 8 µM) and primary CML cells (IC50 was 13.4 µM for CML-CP and 18 µM for CML-BC), induced CML cells apoptosis and promoted the erythroid differentiation of K562 cells with time-dependent manner. Furthermore, Icaritin was able to suppress the growth of primary CD34+ leukemia cells (CML-chronic myeloid leukemia) and Imatinib-resistant cells, and to induce apoptosis[3]. At concentrations of 2-3 μM, icaritin induced cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase accompanied by a down-regulation of the expression levels of the G(2)/M regulatory proteins such as cyclinB, cdc2 and cdc25C. Icaritin at concentrations of 4-5 μM, however, induced apoptotic cell death characterized by the accumulation of the annexin V- and propidium iodide-positive cells, cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and down-regulation of the Bcl-2 expression. In addition, icaritin also induced a sustained phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in these breast cancer cells[4]. Icaritin can effectively decrease tumor burden of murine B16F10 melanoma and MC38 colorectal tumors in a T-cell dependent manner[5]. Icaritin inhibited the viability of U87 and T98G cells in a dose-dependent manner. Icaritin exerted inhibitory effects on cell viability and glycolysis in GBM cells, which was mediated by the IL-6/Stat3 pathway[6].