Mangolia Officinalis is a herb with two similar compounds in it, Honokiol and Magnolol. These compounds appear to exert anti-cancer and sedative effects, and may be promising cognitive enhancers. Current human studies are lacklustre in quality, and more evidence is needed
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Magnolia Officinalis is a plant from the Magnolia species of plants which share a set of similar compounds. Two of them, known as Honokiol and Magnolol, are seen as the active ingredients.
Magnolia plants tend to be significantly cancer protective, and show protective effects on the liver and the brain via fighting inflammation and oxidation. They have also been linked to anti-depressant and anxiety reducing effects.
One of the compounds, Honokiol, is currently in trials for usage as an adjunct treatment for cancer therapy.
Benefits can be found with drinking Magnolia teas, known as Saiboku-to, although the tea should be consumed with meals due to the fat-solubility of the active ingredients.
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Saiboku-to, Magnolia Bark Extract, Honokiol, Magnolol
Magnolia Bark extract acts as an anxiolytic, or a compound that reduces anxiety. This is a beneficial effect for those with stress, but may be adverse to highly laid back persons
Rectal administration of Magnolia Bark apparently results in more of the active ingredients reaching the blood; still not advisable[1]
The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (excluding animal/petri-dish studies) to tell you what effect Magnolia Officinalis has in your body, and how strong these effects are.
| Grade | Level of Evidence |
|---|---|
| A | Robust research conducted with repeated double blind clinical trials |
| B | Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled |
| C | Single double blind study or multiple cohort studies |
| D | Uncontrolled or observational studies only |
| Level of Evidence | Effect | Change | Magnitude of Effect Size | Scientific Consensus | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dental Health |   Notable | 100% See study | An improvement in dental health is noted with gym containing magnolia bark, which outperforms that of Xylitol in regards to reducing acid, plaque, and gum bleeding |
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As a herbal compound, Magnolia Officinalis contains a variety of molecules. The primary and unique ingredients of Magnolia Officinalis include:
Whereas other compounds found in the plant as well as other plants include:
Honokiol and Magnolol are both seen as the active ingredients of Magnolia Officinalis.
Like many plants, the exact composition of the plant differs based on growing conditions and species.[9][10]
The two primary active compounds in M.Officinalis are known as Honokiol and Magnolol; two biphenolic structural isomers that exert similar effects in the body.[11][12] They were first noted in plants of the Magnolia family, in teas (known as saiboku-to) used historically to treat asthma and anxiety.[13]
Magnolol can readily pass the blood brain barrier in vivo and reaches levels four times higher in the brain when compared to serum; it shows no real preference as to where in the brain it gets deposited, being quite evenly distributed in measured areas.[14]
Honokiol also appears to effectively cross the Blood Brain Barrier, although the ratios of blood to brain concentrations were not four-fold higher but fluctuated in the 1.29-2.72-fold range.[15]
Magnolol and Honokiol are known to be highly hydrophobic, making free magnolol and honokiol floating in serum without a transport unlikely. They have been shown in vitro to readily associate with serum albumin, [16] which may be its transport in vivo.
After oral administration, the component Syringin can be metabolized to Sinapic Acid.[8]
It is possible for Magnolol to leave the urine unmetabolized, but may also be metabolized to 3-{2',6-dihydroxy-5'-(2-propenyl){1,1'-biphenyl}-3-yl}-(E)-2-propenoic acid and dihydroxydihydromagnolol (DHHM).[8] DHHM retains some of the properties of magnolol.[8]
After ingestion of Saiboku-to (herbal mixture of 10 ingredients, one of which is Magnolia Officinalis), free magnolol can be found in the urine as well as 8,9-dihydroxydihydromagnolol (DDM).[17] Excretion of these compounds begins after 1-3 hours, and afterwards the rate of excretion declines with a half-life of 1-2 hours.[17]
Elimination half-life does not seem to differ much when comparing a bolus injection against a continual infusion[18] nor does it seem to change significantly when comparing a 2mg/kg dose against 5mg/kg and 10mg/kg.[14]
Once in the body, Honokiol can exert potent anti-oxidant effects against hydroxyl radicals (most likely) due to allyl groups on the compound structure.[19][20] This may be used to explain the more significant anti-oxidant abilities of Honokiol over Magnolol, due to greater activity of the allyl formations on the Honokiol molecule relative to the Magnolol molecule.[21][22]
In vitro studies on Honokiol indicate that it may exert apoptosis via decreasing phosphorylation of the MAPK pathway, Akt, and C-Src[23][21] which ultimately suppress nuclear nF-kB signalling.[24] These upstream mechanisms of action seem to induce apoptosis in pathological cells more than normal cells[25] and does so in the presence of the normally inhibitory factors IGF-1 and IL-6.[21][26][27]
Honokiol can exert actions against tumor development on its own, but works synergistically with other anti-cancer interventions[28] perhaps through inhibiton of nF-kB.[21][29] Honokiol has also been shown in one instance to reverse multidrug resistance and perhaps the ABCC transporter gene, two major means of drug efflux.[30] These mechanisms suggest that Honokiol or M.officinalis can potentiate anti-cancer treatment options.
Its suspected to act vicariously through the heat-shock protein Grp94, found on the endoplasmic reticulum of cells.[21][31]
The benefits of Honokiol have been noted with colonic cancer cell lines[32], breast cancer cell lines[33], gastric tumors[31], prostate[34] and a model of lung and bladder cancer cells.[35] When its water-insolubility is overcome with pegylated liposomes it shows some promise in treating ovarian cancer as an adjunct treatment.[36] This same modification potentially increases potency in other cell lines where benefits are seen without, such as lung.[37][38]
Beyond the inhibiting effects of Honokiol on TNF-a induced upstream phosphorylation of intermediates that ultimately reduces nF-kB, Holokiol also may exert apoptotic effects in cells via inducing cyclosporin D expression which increases mitochondrial membrane permeability and oxidation.[39]
Honokiol, in particular, appears to be effective in reducing or alleviating tumor growth and occurrence in vitro[32][40][41][42] and in vivo.[15]
Two studies currently on Magnolia Officinalis have been conducted in menopausal women, mean ages of around 53 for both studies and slightly overweight BMI on average.[43][44] Although both studies are confounded with coingested nutrients, it appears that Magnolia Officinalis can alleviate insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression and loss of libido assocaited with menopause.[43]
The sedative effects of Magnolia (Magnolol and Honokiol) was first noted in 1983 when anxiolytic and relaxing effects were seen in animals given Magnolia Officinalis.[45]
Both Honokiol and Magnolol have been implicated in increasing the binding of ligands to GABAA receptors when in GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complexes, increasing the effects of GABAA ligands and sedative effects.[46] Honokiol is slightly more potent in this regard, but both of them decrease the EC50 (concentration needed to go halfway between baseline and maximal effects; or half-occupancy of receptors) of the receptor from 450+/-33uM to 79+/-7.4uM and 68+/-6.4uM magnolol and honokiol; respectively (values from forebrain; same trends seen in cerebellum).[46] This augmentation of GABAA binding precedes Magnolol and Honokiol as positive GABAergic modulators[47][48] and this modulation (controlling extreme fluctuations) may be of use in states where GABAergic neurotransmission is altered, such as epilepsy[49] and anxiety.[6]
Another possible sedative mechanism of action is 'anti-stimulation'; Honokiol has the ability to prevent NMDA-induced Ca2+ influx into neurons while Magnolol has a more general prevention of Ca2+ influx by NMDA and other means. Both compounds were ineffective in preventing KCl induced Na2+ influx.[50] These effects were shown to increase the NMDA-induced seizure threshold, and may help protect against NMDA-induced seizures.[50] Some active ingredients of Magnolia Bark may also suppress adrenaline secretion from adrenal glands.[51]
Magnolol and Honokiol have both been implicated in increasing the affinity of muscarine to its receptor, the acetylcholine receptor.[46] This is due to an increased number of binding sites on neurons, specifically potentiating low affinity binding sites by allosterically modifying the receptor.[46] Honokiol was slightly more potent than Magnolol, increasing muscarine binding 3.2-fold in vitro (using whole rat forebrains) relative to Magnolol's 2.8-fold increase.[46] In cerebellum cells, potency of binding was increased 71% and 64% Honokiol and Magnolol, respectively.[46]
When looking in vivo, Magnolol and Honokiol appear to have the ability to induce acetylcholine release from the hippocampus in rats.[52] This effect was seen at a concentration of 10-4M (100uM) and increased acetylcholine release by 165.5% and 237.86% honokiol and magnolol, respectively. Lower doses were not statistically significant.[52] This is somewhat in contrast to some in vitro work, which paints honokiol as the active compound.[53]
Both Magnolol (10mg/kg bodyweight) and Honokiol (1mg/kg bodyweight) have been shown to, in senescence accelerated rats, to reduce the loss of cholinergic neurons associated with aging that may predict Alzheimer's Disease.[54]
Magnolia is classified as a sedative and anxiolytic, and touted to reduce stress and anxiety.
A combination nutraceutical called Relora (A mixture of Magnolia and Phellodendron Amurense) has shown efficacy in reducing perceived stress and can acutely reduce anxiety at a thrice daily dose of 250mg, although it doesn't appear to potent in reducing overall anxiety in healthy women.[55] The anti-anxiety and destressing effects of Magnolia appear to be more potent in post-menopausal women[43][44] but the nutrient cofounds in these human studies make direct comparisons difficult.
In persons who suffer from stress-related eating, the Relora combination has been shown to suppress weight gain that is due to stress eating.[56] Similar to Rhodiola Rosea, this is due to a negation of stress eating as these herbs do not inherently possess fat burning potential.
A study conducted in rats with unpredictable chronic stress found that one component of Magnolia, Magnolol, was able to rescue negative changes in serotonergic signalling and BNDF associated with depression[57] and has been replicated in three other rat models of depression.[58] These anti-depression effects are seen at dosages ranging from 20-40mg/kg bodyweight in rats (3.2-6.4mg/kg human) and seem to be synergistically enhanced by Ginger consumption.[59][60]
Ginger has been used traditionally with Magnolia bark as Chinese medicine combination therapy for depression and other cognitive disorders, along with a few other herbs (known as Banxia-Houpu).[61][62] When studying rats, it appears that although Magnolia itself (as a combination of Magnolol and Honokiol) is able to reduce measures of depression while ginger is ineffective. The addition of 14mg/kg bodyweight ginger oil synergistically enhances the effects of Magnolol and Honokiol.[60] These results have been replicated, and ginger has been established as the adjunct compound that enhances the effects of Magnolia Officinalis.[59] The combination synergistically increases serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain when administered.[59]
Polysaccharides from the Rhizome of Pinelliae appear to be synergistically enhanced when coingested with a mixture of Honokiol and Magnolol, causing an inactive dose to become effective in a forced swim test model in rats.[63]
(Common misspellings for Magnolia Officinalis include magnolea, manolia, magnola, manola, honokeol, honokol, magnol, magnlol, saibokuto, saiboto)
(Common phrases used by users for this page include nutrition facts for magnolia officinalis, magnolia officinalis fracciones, magnolia officinalis breast cancer, magnolia bark benefits cancer, evidence that magnolia bark works, 3. Taferner B, et al. Modulation of GABAA-receptors by honokiol and derivatives: subtype selectivity and structure-activity relationship. J Med Chem. )
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