Magnolol

Description

Magnolol is a bioactive compound isolated from the bark of M. officinalis that has been used in Asian traditional medicine for the treatment of anxiety, sleep disorders, and allergic diseases. Magnolol can activate cannabinoid (CB) receptors, behaving as a partial agonist with selectivity for the peripheral CB₂ subtype (EC₅₀ = 3.28 μM; K_i = 1.44 μM) versus central CB₁ (EC₅₀ = 18.3 μM; K_i = 3.15 μM).

Chemical properties

White or off-white powder

The Uses of Magnolol

Magnolol is the bioactive phytochemicals found in Magnolia officinalis (1). Magnolol has been used to treat anxiety, cough, headache and allergies (2). It also inhibits tumor necrosis factor-a-*induced ICAM-1 expression in human lung epithelial cells.

What are the applications of Application

Magnolol is an inhibitor of NO and TNF-α production

Definition

ChEBI: Magnolol is a member of biphenyls.

Hazard

Moderately toxic by ingestion.

Biological Activity

Magnolol, a natural lignan isolated from the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis, is a dual agonist of both RXRα and PPARγ, with EC50 values of 10.4 μM and 17.7 μM, respectively.

Mechanism of action

Magnolol (5,5’-diallyl-2,2’-dihydroxybiphenyl) is a polyphenolic binaphthalene compound and a structural isomer of honokiol. Both magnolol and honokiol are isolated from the stem bark of a traditional Chinese herbal medicine Magnolia officinalis, which has been used for management of nervous disturbance, abdominal distention or disorders, gastrointestinal food stagnancy, and coughing and dyspnea. Magnolol has showed a wide spectrum of beneficial activities, including anti-inflammation, antimicroorganism, antioxidation, antiangiogenesis, anticancer, neuroprotection, cardiovascular protection, and lipolysis activities.

Safety Profile

Moderately toxic by ingestion.When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke andirritating vapors.

in vitro

Magnolol is a bioactive lignin found in the bark of the Houpu magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) which shows antifungal properties. Magnolol preferentially increases (3)H-muscimol binding to hippocampus compared to cortex and cerebellum in vitro. Magnolol has a more potent enhancing effect on GABAA receptor alpha2 subunit. Magnolol shows significant inhibitory activities against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporium gypseum, Epidermophyton floccosum, Aspergillus niger, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in a range of 25-100 μg/ml.

in vivo

Magnolol (5-15 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly attenuates the phenotypic severity of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Magnolol (10, 15 mg/kg, p.o.) attenuates histopathological changes and myeloperoxidase activity in the colon of DSS-treated mice, decreases DSS-induced high levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the colonic tissues. Magnolol (10 mg/kg, p.o.) also reverses abnormality of serum metabolome, and regulates tryptophan metabolic pathway in mice.