Effectiveness of Magnolol, a Lignan from Magnolia Bark, in Diabetes, Its Complications and Comorbidities—A Review

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by disturbances in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, often accompanied by oxidative stress. Diabetes treatment is a complicated process in which, in addition to the standard pharmacological action, it is necessary to append a comprehensive approach. Introducing the aspect of non-pharmacological treatment of diabetes allows one to alleviate its many adverse complications. Therefore, it seems important to look for substances that, when included in the daily diet, can improve diabetic parameters. Magnolol, a polyphenolic compound found in magnolia bark, is known for its health-promoting activities and multidirectional beneficial effects on the body. Accordingly, the goal of this review is to systematize the available scientific literature on its beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes and its complications. Taking the above into consideration, the article collects data on the favorable effects of magnolol on parameters related to glycemia, lipid metabolism, or oxidative stress in the course of diabetes. After careful analysis of many scientific articles, it can be concluded that this lignan is a promising agent supporting the conventional therapies with antidiabetic drugs in order to manage diabetes and diabetes-related diseases.

Detection of antibiotic-resistant canine origin Escherichia coli and the synergistic effect of magnolol in reducing the resistance of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli

“…Although magnolol has multiple biological activities, including the prevention and amelioration of diseases such as cancer ( 13 ), anti-depressant ( 14 ) and anti-diabetes ( 15 ) effects, and improvement of growth performance ( 16 ), its potential activity against bacterial diseases has not been fully explored. In this study, we unexpectedly found that magnolol exhibits potent potentiation (8- to 64-fold) of the effectiveness of cefquinome against resistant bacteria, even at high magnolol concentrations.…”

“…Magnolol is an extractive from Houpo (Magnolia officinalis), which was first recorded in the Shennong Herbal Classic. As shown in previous studies, magnolol has multiple biological activities, including the prevention and amelioration of diseases such as cancer (13), anti-depressant (14) and anti-diabetes (15) effects, and improvement of growth performance (16). However, the Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia medica) indicates gastrointestinal tract diseases such as dysentery and cholera as indications for Houpo, which suggests that Houpo interacts with the intestinal flora.…”

Targeting peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ proteasomal degradation by magnolol is a potential avenue for adipogenesis‐mediated metabolic homeostasis

“…Remarkably, magnolol, a natural component from magnolia bark [23], stood out as a PPARγ stabilizer without side effects. Magnolol has been found to be beneficial for systemic health, such as reducing hyperglycemia, decreasing hyperlipidemia, and being anticancer [24][25][26]. Previous reports have also suggested a protective function of magnolol on insulin resistance by enhancing adipogenesis, although the mechanism was not illuminated [27,28].…”

“…Previous reports have also suggested a protective function of magnolol on insulin resistance by enhancing adipogenesis, although the mechanism was not illuminated [27,28]. The multifaceted pharmacological effects of magnolol involve the regulation of phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways [24][25][26]. However, the regulatory mechanism of PPARγ by magnolol is not illustrated yet, which is critical for improved medicine development.…”

The Effect of Phytochemicals and Food Bioactive Compounds on Diabetes

“…Magnolol is thus a plant-derived, natural compound that shows promising effects in the prevention and treatment of T2D and its complications. The authors suggest magnolol may be a good supportive compound complementing conventional therapeutic methods in counteracting diabetic negative effects on the organism [ 6 ]. The herbal tea, rooibos, produced from Aspalathus linearis , is the only dietary source to date of aspalathin, a flavonoid and C -glucosyl dihydrochalcone.…”