Icariin (ICA) is a major bioactive constituent isolated from Traditional Chinese Medicine Epimedium brevicornum. A solid-phase extraction polyphenolic extract of Epimedium brevicornum leaves was tested for ICA efficacy against AFB₁-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Recently, the ability of bioactive compounds to regulate oxidative stress and inflammatory response has received much attention. Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is one of the utmost prevalent agricultural contaminants and has devastating effects on the health of animals and humans. In this regard, forty-eight mice were indiscriminately assigned to the following groups (n = 12): 1) Control (CON), 2) 50 mg/kg BW icariin (ICA), 3) 1 mg/kg BW AFB₁ (AFB₁), 4) 1 mg/kg AFB₁ + 50 mg/kg BW icariin (AFB₁ + ICA). The groups received treatments with AFB₁ or ICA for 15 days. The findings indicated that AFB₁ markedly reduced average daily feed intake, average daily gain and provoked liver damage as evidenced by both pathological and biochemical changes. In contrast, oral supplementation of ICA significantly rescued these changes. Furthermore, ICA dramatically decreased oxidative stress inflicted by AFB₁ by neutralizing MDA and ROS formation and by promoting the antioxidant enzymes (T-SOD, T-AOC, CAT, and GSH-Px) activities. Additionally, ICA demonstrated a notable modulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in mice exposed to AFB₁. In summary, ICA could act as a shielding agent against hepatic injury caused by AFB₁ and could contribute to the advancement of new therapies for treating liver conditions in both humans and animals.

Index Terms- Aflatoxin B₁; Epimedium brevicornum; Icariin, Oxidative stress; Inflammation; Mice