2.1.4 Data extraction
Two researchers independently extracted the following information from the literature: (1) The author’s name and publication year. (2) Details of the animal model used in the study, including the type, gender, and sample size. (3) The method used to induce inflammation in the model. (4) The method used to induce anesthesia. (5) Details of the treatment drugs used in the intervention group, including the name, dose and timing of treatment. (6) Details of the treatment drugs used in the model group, including the name, dose and timing of treatment. For included drug doses, the highest dose was recorded. If the data were presented in graphical form, the original author was contacted to obtain the data. If the original data could not be obtained, digital ruler software was used to measure the data from the image.
2.1.5 Risk of bias assessment
To evaluate the quality of literature on the use of icariin for treating inflammatory diseases, a risk of bias Assessment was conducted using the SYRCLE list proposed by Hooijmans.et al (Hooijmans et al., 2014). The assessment consisted of 10 items, including: (1) Sequence generation; (2) Baseline characteristics; (3) Allocation concealment; (4) Random housing; (5) Blinding of performance bias; (6) Random outcome assessment; (7) Blinding detection bias; (8) Incomplete outcome data; (9) Selective outcome reporting; (10) Other sources of bias. Each study was given a total score of ten points, with each item worth one point. The Risk of Bias Assessment was performed independently by two researchers, and in case of any discrepancies, the results were reviewed by a third researcher for arbitration.