Pharmacological Properties of Magnolol and Hōnokiol Extracted fromMagnolia officinalis: Central Depressant Effects

Abstract

The pharmacological properties of magnolol and hOnokiol, neolignane derivatives, extracted from Magnolia officinalis, used in Chinese and Japanese traditional medicine, for neurosis and gastrointestinal complaints, were investigated. Magnolol and hOnokiol produced sedation, ataxia, muscle relaxation and a loss of the righting reflex with an increase in dose of 50 to 500 mg/kg i.p. Magnolol and hOnokiol at a dose of 50 mg/kg suppressed spinal reflexes in young chicks in a similar manner, but with a much longer duration of action than mephenesin. Pretreatment of mice with magnolol 100 mg/kg inhibited tonic extensor convulsions and death produced by an intracerebroventricular injection of penicillin 0 potassium 50 tg. In rats, after an intraventricular injection of penicillin G 400 .tg. magnolol suppressed the incidence of spike discharge, but not seizure discharge. Magnolol produced spindle discharges in sensory and motor cortex electroencephalograms and inhibited mid brain reticular formation-and hypothalamus-stimulated responses in the neo-and palaeo-cortex electroencephalograms, respectively. These results suggest that magnolol causes a depression of the ascending activating systems as well as of the spinal cord.

Targeting apoptosis pathways in cancer with magnolol and honokiol, bioactive constituents of the bark of <i>Magnolia officinalis </i>

“…Magnolia bark is rich in two biphenol compounds, magnolol (5,5'-diallyi-2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl, C 18 H 18 O 2 ) and honokiol (3,5'-diallyl-4,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl, C 18 H 18 O 2 ), that have been extensively investigated (7,8). The structures of magnolol and honokiol are shown in Figure 1.…”

Honokiol, a natural biphenyl, inhibits in vitro and in vivo growth of breast cancer through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest

“…MDA-MB-231 cells were harvested, washed twice with sterile PBS, counted and resuspended in Matrigel (BD Biosciences). Six-week-old female athymic nude mice were injected subcutaneously in both flanks with cells at a density of 1x10 6 viable cells/100 μl. The mice were treated with daily intra-peritoneal injections of either HNK (2 mg/day) or vehicle control, suspended in 20% intralipid (Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield, IL) in a total volume of 0.3 ml.…”

“…1A) (1,2). HNK has long been known to have antithrombosis, antibacterial and anxiolytic effects (3)(4)(5)(6). However, its antitumor activities have only recently been described.…”

Antinociceptive activity and chemical composition of Wei–Chang–An–Wan extracts

“…et Wils. (Magnoliaceae) in WCAW accounted for 75% (Committee of National Pharmacopoeia, 2010) have been widely used in treatments of abdominal pain, disorders of gastrointestinal tracts or inflammation (Fang et al, 2009;Guo et al, 2012;Kakino et al, 2010;Kim et al, 2012;Watanabe et al, 1983). Fructus Aurantii, Magnolia officinalis and Rheum officinale (Polygonaceae) showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production (Tseng et al, 2006).…”