Icariin exerts an antidepressant effect in an unpredictable chronic mild stress model of depression in rats and is associated with the regulation of hippocampal neuroinflammation

Icariin (ICA), a flavonoid extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Herba Epimedii that can freely cross the blood-brain barrier, inhibits neuroinflammation and attenuates oxidative stress damage. Our previous studies demonstrated that icariin exerts an antidepressant-like activity in a social defeat mouse model. However, it is unknown whether icariin is beneficial for the treatment of depression via its modulation of oxidative stress and...