Magnolol

Magnolol at a Glance

Magnolol is a biphenyl neolignan (a biphenol, 5,5’-diallyl-2,2’-dihydroxybiphenyl) and one of the two signature bioactive constituents of the bark of magnolia — Magnolia officinalis (Chinese houpu) and the Japanese M. obovata. Magnolia bark has a long history in Chinese and Kampo medicine for digestive complaints, low mood and anxiety, and magnolol is the marker used to standardise commercial extracts.

Its most mechanistically coherent activity is calming: magnolol is a positive allosteric modulator of GABA-A receptors, the same broad target family that benzodiazepines and alcohol act on, which gives a plausible molecular basis for magnolia’s traditional sedative and anxiolytic use ^{1,2Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →Reference 2Fuchs A et al. · 2014Structural analogues of the natural products magnolol and honokiol as potent allosteric potentiators of GABA(A) receptorsView study →}. Beyond that, isolated magnolol shows a wide preclinical repertoire — anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, metabolic (PPARγ) and neuroprotective — but almost all of this is in-vitro or rodent work on the isolate, and the controlled human data are for whole-bark blends, not the pure molecule ^{13,21Reference 13Szałabska-Rąpała K et al. · 2021ReviewEffectiveness of Magnolol, a Lignan from Magnolia Bark, in Diabetes, Its Complications and Comorbidities—A ReviewView study →Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Magnolol is the positional isomer of honokiol — the two differ only in where the allyl and hydroxyl groups sit on the biphenyl, they co-occur in the same bark, and they are almost always discussed as a pair. Toxicity appears low, with the practical caution being additive sedation with other CNS depressants, given the GABA-A mechanism ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Magnolol vs. Honokiol

Magnolol and honokiol are constitutional (positional) isomers: both are diallyl-dihydroxybiphenyls with the formula C18H18O2, differing only in the positions of the two allyl and two hydroxyl substituents on the biphenyl scaffold. Magnolol is the symmetric 5,5’-diallyl-2,2’-dihydroxybiphenyl; honokiol carries its groups asymmetrically. They occur together in magnolia bark, magnolol usually the more abundant of the two (~2–11% vs. ~1–5% of dry bark), and their ratio shifts with species, provenance and extraction ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Functionally they overlap heavily — both are GABA-A positive allosteric modulators ^{1Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →}, both are anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective in preclinical models, and much of the “magnolia bark” literature tests them together or as a fixed mix. Where the classic behavioural anxiolytic signal in Kampo formulas was attributed specifically to honokiol ^{4Reference 4Kuribara H et al. · 2000The anxiolytic effect of two oriental herbal drugs in Japan attributed to honokiol from magnolia barkView study →}, magnolol’s distinguishing threads are its PPARγ agonism / metabolic activity ^{10,11,12Reference 10Fakhrudin N et al. · 2010Computer-aided discovery, validation, and mechanistic characterization of novel neolignan activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaView study →Reference 11Choi SS et al. · 2009Magnolol enhances adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cellsView study →Reference 12Wang JJ et al. · 2014AnimalThe antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects of magnolol on diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocinView study →} and its abundance as the primary standardisation marker. Because they are rarely separated in whole-bark products, effects seen for a magnolia extract cannot be cleanly assigned to either isomer alone.

What It's Used For

Magnolol’s preclinical profile is genuinely broad, but the compound-page discipline is the load-bearing caveat: nearly all of it is in-vitro or rodent work on the isolated molecule, and the human evidence that exists belongs to whole magnolia-bark blends rather than pure magnolol ^{13,21Reference 13Szałabska-Rąpała K et al. · 2021ReviewEffectiveness of Magnolol, a Lignan from Magnolia Bark, in Diabetes, Its Complications and Comorbidities—A ReviewView study →Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Evidence by IndicationStrength of support · Beta

Support is an experimental score — weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro) and volume. A beta, not a validated metric. Human data are for whole-bark blends, not the isolate, so isolate scores stay modest by design.

01Anxiolytic / sedative (GABA-A)Shaky40%GABA-A positive allosteric modulation (synaptic + extrasynaptic) + traditional use; behavioural data mostly for the isomer/blend ^{1,2,3,4Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →Reference 2Fuchs A et al. · 2014Structural analogues of the natural products magnolol and honokiol as potent allosteric potentiators of GABA(A) receptorsView study →Reference 3Cheng J et al. · 2018AnimalMagnolol abrogates chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex of miceView study →Reference 4Kuribara H et al. · 2000The anxiolytic effect of two oriental herbal drugs in Japan attributed to honokiol from magnolia barkView study →}

02Anti-inflammatoryShaky38%Isolate ↓ NF-κB / COX-2 in macrophages; ↓ neuroinflammation in vivo ^{3,5Reference 3Cheng J et al. · 2018AnimalMagnolol abrogates chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex of miceView study →Reference 5Murakami Y et al. · 2012AnimalComparative inhibitory effects of magnolol, honokiol, eugenol and bis-eugenol on cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nuclear factor-kappa B activation in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells stimulated with fimbriae of Porphyromonas gingivalisView study →}

03Metabolic / antidiabeticShaky34%PPARγ agonism; ↑ adipocyte glucose uptake; ↓ hyperglycaemia in diabetic rats ^{10,11,12,13Reference 10Fakhrudin N et al. · 2010Computer-aided discovery, validation, and mechanistic characterization of novel neolignan activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaView study →Reference 11Choi SS et al. · 2009Magnolol enhances adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cellsView study →Reference 12Wang JJ et al. · 2014AnimalThe antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects of magnolol on diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocinView study →Reference 13Szałabska-Rąpała K et al. · 2021ReviewEffectiveness of Magnolol, a Lignan from Magnolia Bark, in Diabetes, Its Complications and Comorbidities—A ReviewView study →}

04AnticancerShaky34%Large preclinical volume across multiple pathways — all cell/animal ^{6,7Reference 6Ranaware AM et al. · 2018Magnolol: A Neolignan from the Magnolia Family for the Prevention and Treatment of CancerView study →Reference 7Wang X et al. · 2022Magnolol as a Potential Anticancer Agent: A Proposed Mechanistic InsightView study →}

05Antimicrobial (oral / periodontal)Shaky30%Bactericidal against periodontopathic/oral bacteria in vitro ^{8,9Reference 8Chiu KC et al. · 2021In vitroIn vitro antimicrobial and antipro-inflammation potential of honokiol and magnolol against oral pathogens and macrophagesView study →Reference 9Chang B et al. · 1998Antimicrobial activity of magnolol and honokiol against periodontopathic microorganismsView study →}

06NeuroprotectionShaky28%Rodent Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s models via antioxidant/anti-Aβ action ^{14,15Reference 14Muroyama A et al. · 2012In vitroMagnolol Protects against MPTP/MPP(+)-Induced Toxicity via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson’s DiseaseView study →Reference 15Yu Q et al. · 2025AnimalMagnolol acts as a neurorestorative agent in an Aβ1-42-induced mouse model of Alzheimer’s diseaseView study →}

Mechanisms

The load-bearing mechanism is GABA-A potentiation: it ties the molecule to magnolia’s traditional calming use and to the one interaction that matters clinically (additive CNS depression). The anti-inflammatory NF-κB/oxidative axis then recurs through the anticancer and neuroprotective work.

Pharmacokinetics

Magnolol is lipophilic and poorly water-soluble, which shapes its whole PK story. After oral dosing in rats its absolute oral bioavailability is low — extensive first-pass glucuronidation in both liver and intestine, by several UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoforms, is the dominant metabolic fate ^{16,18Reference 16Lin SP et al. · 2011AnimalPharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of magnolol following single and repeated dosing of magnolol to ratsView study →Reference 18Zhu L et al. · 2012Characterization of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation of magnolol: application of the relative activity factor approach to decipher the contributions of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoformsView study →}. It distributes rapidly and, importantly for its CNS effects, crosses the blood-brain barrier: intravenous magnolol reaches brain tissue quickly in the rat ^{17Reference 17Tsai TH et al. · 1996AnimalPharmacokinetics and brain distribution of magnolol in the rat after intravenous bolus injectionView study →}. A distinctive twist is its active metabolite tetrahydromagnolol, which carries GABAergic and cannabinoid-receptor activity and is part of why magnolia products have a sedative/misuse discussion attached ^{19,20Reference 19Fuchs A et al. · 2013The natural product magnolol as a lead structure for the development of potent cannabinoid receptor agonistsView study →Reference 20Schifano F et al. · 2017Is there a potential of misuse for Magnolia officinalis compounds/metabolites? Human Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28517911/View study →}. The two practical consequences: (1) high-concentration in-vitro anticancer/antimicrobial findings do not translate to achievable systemic levels after oral magnolia; and (2) formulation matters — solubility- and glucuronidation-limited exposure is the reason bioavailability-enhanced forms are pursued ^{16,18Reference 16Lin SP et al. · 2011AnimalPharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of magnolol following single and repeated dosing of magnolol to ratsView study →Reference 18Zhu L et al. · 2012Characterization of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation of magnolol: application of the relative activity factor approach to decipher the contributions of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoformsView study →}.

Clinical Trials

There are no substantial controlled efficacy trials of isolated magnolol. The human evidence attached to magnolia bark is for whole-bark preparations and blends — most prominently the proprietary M. officinalis + Phellodendron amurense combination (Relora) studied for stress, cortisol and sleep — within which magnolol is one of several actives and cannot be isolated ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Last checked: July 2026.

How Magnolol Works

Magnolol’s varied effects collapse onto a small number of molecular actions, applied in different tissues.

GABA-A Potentiation

The central CNS mechanism: magnolol binds GABA-A receptors at a site distinct from the benzodiazepine site and acts as a positive allosteric modulator, increasing GABA-evoked inhibitory currents at both synaptic and δ-subunit extrasynaptic receptors ^{1Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →}. This is the molecular correlate of magnolia’s sedative/anxiolytic reputation and the basis of the additive-sedation caution.

NF-κB & COX-2 Suppression

Across inflammatory, cancer and neurodegeneration models, magnolol repeatedly inhibits NF-κB activation and COX-2 expression, damping pro-inflammatory transcription ^{3,5Reference 3Cheng J et al. · 2018AnimalMagnolol abrogates chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex of miceView study →Reference 5Murakami Y et al. · 2012AnimalComparative inhibitory effects of magnolol, honokiol, eugenol and bis-eugenol on cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nuclear factor-kappa B activation in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells stimulated with fimbriae of Porphyromonas gingivalisView study →}. This single axis links its anti-inflammatory, anticancer and neuroprotective signals.

PPARγ Agonism

Magnolol binds and activates PPARγ, the nuclear receptor targeted by thiazolidinedione antidiabetics, driving adipocyte differentiation and an insulin-sensitising programme — the mechanistic root of its metabolic effects ^{10,11Reference 10Fakhrudin N et al. · 2010Computer-aided discovery, validation, and mechanistic characterization of novel neolignan activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaView study →Reference 11Choi SS et al. · 2009Magnolol enhances adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cellsView study →}.

Antioxidant / Anti-Aβ Action

In neuroprotection models magnolol lowers reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation and counters Aβ-associated pathology, consistent with a radical-scavenging biphenol acting on oxidative and inflammatory stress together ^{14,15Reference 14Muroyama A et al. · 2012In vitroMagnolol Protects against MPTP/MPP(+)-Induced Toxicity via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson’s DiseaseView study →Reference 15Yu Q et al. · 2025AnimalMagnolol acts as a neurorestorative agent in an Aβ1-42-induced mouse model of Alzheimer’s diseaseView study →}.

Isolate vs. Plant Studies

This is the crux of the magnolol file. The mechanistic and behavioural work is overwhelmingly the isolated molecule in cells and rodents — the GABA-A electrophysiology ^{1,2Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →Reference 2Fuchs A et al. · 2014Structural analogues of the natural products magnolol and honokiol as potent allosteric potentiators of GABA(A) receptorsView study →}, the NF-κB/COX-2 macrophage work ^{5Reference 5Murakami Y et al. · 2012AnimalComparative inhibitory effects of magnolol, honokiol, eugenol and bis-eugenol on cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nuclear factor-kappa B activation in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells stimulated with fimbriae of Porphyromonas gingivalisView study →}, the PPARγ and diabetic-rat studies ^{10,11,12Reference 10Fakhrudin N et al. · 2010Computer-aided discovery, validation, and mechanistic characterization of novel neolignan activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gammaView study →Reference 11Choi SS et al. · 2009Magnolol enhances adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cellsView study →Reference 12Wang JJ et al. · 2014AnimalThe antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects of magnolol on diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocinView study →}, the large anticancer literature ^{6,7Reference 6Ranaware AM et al. · 2018Magnolol: A Neolignan from the Magnolia Family for the Prevention and Treatment of CancerView study →Reference 7Wang X et al. · 2022Magnolol as a Potential Anticancer Agent: A Proposed Mechanistic InsightView study →}, and the Parkinson’s/Alzheimer’s models ^{14,15Reference 14Muroyama A et al. · 2012In vitroMagnolol Protects against MPTP/MPP(+)-Induced Toxicity via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson’s DiseaseView study →Reference 15Yu Q et al. · 2025AnimalMagnolol acts as a neurorestorative agent in an Aβ1-42-induced mouse model of Alzheimer’s diseaseView study →} all test magnolol (often against honokiol) directly. As a preclinical mechanism base for the isolate, this is a real strength.

The human evidence, by contrast, is whole-bark. Controlled trials are for magnolia-bark preparations and the M. officinalis + Phellodendron blend, not purified magnolol ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}, and because magnolol and honokiol co-occur and are usually tested together, extract effects cannot be assigned to magnolol alone. Compounding this, its low oral bioavailability means the plasma exposure achievable from oral magnolia is far below the concentrations used in most in-vitro assays ^{16,18Reference 16Lin SP et al. · 2011AnimalPharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of magnolol following single and repeated dosing of magnolol to ratsView study →Reference 18Zhu L et al. · 2012Characterization of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation of magnolol: application of the relative activity factor approach to decipher the contributions of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoformsView study →}. The correct framing: strong isolate mechanism + meaningful whole-bark human interest + little direct human isolate efficacy — the two evidence bases are not interchangeable.

Prevalence in Nature

Magnolol is largely restricted to the genus Magnolia (family Magnoliaceae), where it is concentrated in the bark. Its principal sources are the traditional medicinal barks: Magnolia officinalis (Chinese houpu/hou po) and the Japanese M. obovata, with reports also from M. grandiflora and M. dealbata ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}. In dry M. officinalis bark magnolol runs roughly 2–11%, making it usually the more abundant of the two signature biphenyl neolignans, with honokiol at about 1–5%; the ratio and absolute content vary markedly with species, geographic provenance, bark type (stem vs. root) and extraction method ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}. Commercial “magnolia bark extracts” are standardised to magnolol (and honokiol) at far higher percentages than the raw bark.

Magnolol belongs to the broader lignan / neolignan family of plant phenylpropanoid dimers — kin to the furanoid and dibenzylbutane lignans such as pinoresinol, sesamin and syringaresinol — but its biphenyl (biaryl) skeleton and near-exclusive occurrence in magnolia bark set it apart from those more widely distributed lignans.

Discovery & Synthesis

Magnolol was isolated from the bark of Magnolia officinalis by early-twentieth-century Japanese natural-products chemistry, as investigators sought the active principle of houpu (Chinese) / wa-koboku (Japanese) magnolia bark, a staple of Kampo medicine; its name derives directly from the genus Magnolia. Structurally it was established as a symmetric biphenol — 5,5’-diallyl-2,2’-dihydroxybiphenyl — and recognised as the positional isomer of the co-occurring honokiol ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Because magnolol is a simple, symmetric diallyl-biphenyldiol, it is synthetically accessible by oxidative or metal-catalysed biaryl coupling of allyl-substituted phenols, but there is little commercial incentive to make it: manufacture today is overwhelmingly by extraction from magnolia bark, which is abundant, inexpensive and the natural co-source of honokiol, followed by chromatographic purification and standardisation of the extract.

Patents: not yet researched.

Toxicity & Safety

Magnolol carries a low toxicity flag. Magnolia bark and its neolignans have a long record of traditional and dietary-supplement use, and a dedicated safety-and-toxicology review of magnolol and honokiol found them generally well tolerated in the available preclinical and human-exposure data, supporting their use as flavour/functional ingredients within reasonable limits ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}. The practical concerns are pharmacological rather than organ-toxic.

The load-bearing caution is additive central sedation. Because magnolol is a GABA-A positive allosteric modulator ^{1Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →}, it can in principle compound the effects of alcohol, benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants — the same logic that explains its calming action also flags the interaction. Its active metabolite tetrahydromagnolol has GABAergic and cannabinoid-receptor activity, which is why a formal discussion of the misuse potential of magnolia compounds/metabolites exists in the literature, though this concerns concentrated products rather than culinary exposure ^{19,20Reference 19Fuchs A et al. · 2013The natural product magnolol as a lead structure for the development of potent cannabinoid receptor agonistsView study →Reference 20Schifano F et al. · 2017Is there a potential of misuse for Magnolia officinalis compounds/metabolites? Human Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28517911/View study →}. Robust human interaction data (specific CYP/UGT interaction studies, repeat-dose human safety) for the isolate are limited, and most human dosing is of whole-bark blends ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Pregnancy/lactation is a per-herb / per-supplement decision and is not adjudicated on this molecule page; dedicated human reproductive data for isolated magnolol are limited, and no isolate-specific verdict is issued here.

Safety at a Glance

✅ Low / no toxicitySedating

• Low intrinsic toxicity. Magnolol and honokiol are generally well tolerated in preclinical and human-exposure data, with a long history of traditional and dietary use ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.
• Additive sedation. As a GABA-A positive allosteric modulator, magnolol can compound alcohol, benzodiazepines and other CNS depressants ^{1Reference 1Alexeev M et al. · 2012The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptorsView study →}.
• Metabolite activity. The metabolite tetrahydromagnolol has GABAergic/cannabinoid activity; a misuse-potential discussion exists for concentrated magnolia products ^{19,20Reference 19Fuchs A et al. · 2013The natural product magnolol as a lead structure for the development of potent cannabinoid receptor agonistsView study →Reference 20Schifano F et al. · 2017Is there a potential of misuse for Magnolia officinalis compounds/metabolites? Human Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28517911/View study →}.
• Human data are the blend, not the isolate. Most controlled safety/efficacy data are for magnolia-bark blends (e.g. Relora), and isolate-specific human interaction/reproductive data are limited ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}.

Dosage

There is no established or recommended human dose for isolated magnolol. Cited efficacy figures in the literature are preclinical rodent research doses and are not convertible to human self-dosing, and the molecule’s low oral bioavailability further limits read-across from those studies ^{16,18Reference 16Lin SP et al. · 2011AnimalPharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of magnolol following single and repeated dosing of magnolol to ratsView study →Reference 18Zhu L et al. · 2012Characterization of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation of magnolol: application of the relative activity factor approach to decipher the contributions of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoformsView study →}.

Real-world human exposure is through magnolia bark itself:

• Magnolia-bark tea and decoction (traditional Kampo/TCM preparations)
• Magnolia-bark tincture
• Standardised magnolia-bark extract capsules (marker-standardised to magnolol/honokiol)
• Proprietary blends such as Relora (M. officinalis + Phellodendron amurense), the source of most controlled human data ^{21Reference 21Sarrica A et al. · 2018Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and HonokiolView study →}

These are doses studied in research and traditional preparations, and are not a personal recommendation.

References

1. Alexeev M, Grosenbaugh DK, Mott DD, Fisher JL (2012). The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of both synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA(A) receptors. Neuropharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22445602/
2. Fuchs A, Baur R, Schoeder C, Sigel E, Müller CE (2014). Structural analogues of the natural products magnolol and honokiol as potent allosteric potentiators of GABA(A) receptors. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25456080/
3. Cheng J, Dong S, Yi L, Geng D, Liu Q (2018). Magnolol abrogates chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behaviors by inhibiting neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex of mice. International Immunopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29627576/
4. Kuribara H, Kishi E, Hattori N, Okada M, Maruyama Y (2000). The anxiolytic effect of two oriental herbal drugs in Japan attributed to honokiol from magnolia bark. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11186252/
5. Murakami Y, Kawata A, Seki Y, Koh T, Yuhara K, Maruyama T, Machino M, Ito S, Kadoma Y, Fujisawa S (2012). Comparative inhibitory effects of magnolol, honokiol, eugenol and bis-eugenol on cyclooxygenase-2 expression and nuclear factor-kappa B activation in RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells stimulated with fimbriae of Porphyromonas gingivalis. In Vivo. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23160676/
6. Ranaware AM, Banik K, Deshpande V, Padmavathi G, Roy NK, Sethi G, Fan L, Kumar AP, Kunnumakkara AB (2018). Magnolol: A Neolignan from the Magnolia Family for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30103472/
7. Wang X, Liu Q, Fu Y, Ding RB, Qi X, Zhou X, Sun Z, Bao J (2022). Magnolol as a Potential Anticancer Agent: A Proposed Mechanistic Insight. Molecules. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36234977/
8. Chiu KC, Shih YH, Wang TH, Lan WC, Li PJ, Jhuang HS, Hsia SM, Shen YW, Chen MYC, Shieh TM (2021). In vitro antimicrobial and antipro-inflammation potential of honokiol and magnolol against oral pathogens and macrophages. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32978046/
9. Chang B, Lee Y, Ku Y, Bae K, Chung C (1998). Antimicrobial activity of magnolol and honokiol against periodontopathic microorganisms. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9619121/
10. Fakhrudin N, Ladurner A, Atanasov AG, Heiss EH, Baumgartner L, Markt P, Schuster D, Ellmerer EP, Wolber G, Rollinger JM, Stuppner H, Dirsch VM (2010). Computer-aided discovery, validation, and mechanistic characterization of novel neolignan activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. Molecular Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20064974/
11. Choi SS, Cha BY, Lee YS, Yonezawa T, Teruya T, Nagai K, Woo JT (2009). Magnolol enhances adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells. Life Sciences. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19376135/
12. Wang JJ, Zhao R, Liang JC, Chen Y (2014). The antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects of magnolol on diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica (Yao Xue Xue Bao). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24974464/
13. Szałabska-Rąpała K, Borymska W, Kaczmarczyk-Sedlak I (2021). Effectiveness of Magnolol, a Lignan from Magnolia Bark, in Diabetes, Its Complications and Comorbidities—A Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms221810050
14. Muroyama A, Fujita A, Lv C, Kobayashi S, Fukuyama Y, Mitsumoto Y (2012). Magnolol Protects against MPTP/MPP(+)-Induced Toxicity via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress in In Vivo and In Vitro Models of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655218/
15. Yu Q, Shi Y, Wu Y, Liu R, Zhang H, Wu L, Ding M (2025). Magnolol acts as a neurorestorative agent in an Aβ1-42-induced mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39624588/
16. Lin SP, Tsai SY, Lee Chao PD, Chen YC, Hou YC (2011). Pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and tissue distribution of magnolol following single and repeated dosing of magnolol to rats. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21638244/
17. Tsai TH, Chou CJ, Chen CF (1996). Pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of magnolol in the rat after intravenous bolus injection. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8722496/
18. Zhu L, Ge G, Zhang H, Liu H, He G, Liang S, Zhang Y, Fang Z, Dong P, Finel M, Yang L (2012). Characterization of hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation of magnolol: application of the relative activity factor approach to decipher the contributions of multiple UDP-glucuronosyltransferase isoforms. Drug Metabolism and Disposition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22180045/
19. Fuchs A, Rempel V, Müller CE (2013). The natural product magnolol as a lead structure for the development of potent cannabinoid receptor agonists. PLoS One. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24204944/
20. Schifano F, Guarino V, Papanti DG, Baccarin J, Orsolini L, Corkery JM (2017). Is there a potential of misuse for Magnolia officinalis compounds/metabolites? Human Psychopharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28517911/
21. Sarrica A, Kirika N, Romeo M, Salmona M, Diomede L (2018). Safety and Toxicology of Magnolol and Honokiol. Planta Medica. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29925102/

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