Simultaneous Preparation and Comparison of the Osteogenic Effects of Epimedins A – C and Icariin from Epimedium brevicornu

In this study, epimedins A-, B-, and C-, and icariin-rich extracts were simultaneously isolated from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. through a convenient four-stage process consisting of solvent extraction, macroporous resin column pre-concentration, extraction fractionation, and reversed-phase (RP) silica gel column chromatography. Single factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the preparation conditions. In the final products, the purities of epimedins A - C and icariin were 23.04%, 64.50%, 54.92%, and 77.54%, respectively, which will lay a foundation for the further purification of epimedin monomers and full utilization of Epimedium resources. Meanwhile, the osteogenic effects of epimedins A - C were investigated for the first time and compared with that of icariin, which will provide guidance for the clinical applications of Epimedium in the treatment of osteoporosis.