magnolia-bark
Magnolia officinalis · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (611 studies) · ★★★★★
Magnolia-bark, scientifically known as Magnolia officinalis, is a potent medicinal herb derived from the bark of the evergreen magnolia tree. Renowned in traditional Chinese medicine, it contains bioactive compounds like magnolol and honokiol, which offer powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties to support mental wellness and digestive health.
- Family
- Magnoliaceae
- Native range
- Asia-Temperate
- Parts used
- Leaf · Root
- Common names
- Magnolia-Bark · Houpu Magnolia
- Scientific synonyms
- Houpoea Officinalis
Names
Common Names
- magnolia-bark
- Houpu Magnolia
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Magnolia cathayana
- Houpoea officinalis
- Magnolia officinalis subsp. biloba
- Magnolia biloba
- Magnolia officinalis var. pubescens
- Magnolia officinalis var. glabra
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Magnolia officinalisSynonyms
- Houpoea officinalis
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Magnoliales, falling into the family Magnoliaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Magnolia, specifically the species Magnolia officinalis.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Magnoliales | WCVP |
| Family | Magnoliaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Magnolia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad natural range across various regions of the Chinese landscape. It is widely documented to grow throughout China South-Central, thriving in many of its diverse climates. The species also maintains a presence in China North-Central, extending its reach into the heart of the country. Furthermore, its distribution includes the lush environments of China Southeast. Finally, the plant can be found inhabiting the unique high-altitude terrains of Tibet.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| China | Tibet | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Magnolia officinalis, is highly valued in traditional medicine for its therapeutic properties derived from specific anatomical components. The primary medicinal substance is the Magnolia bark, which is specifically harvested as the cortex of the tree. This botanical material is obtained by stripping the stem bark from the mature branches and trunk to extract the potent compounds necessary for treatment. Additionally, while the bark is the most common part used, the leaf can also be utilized in various applications, though the concentrated essence of the plant's healing power is most famously found within its protective outer layers.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| leaf | Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Journal of natural products (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| seed | Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Magnolia officinalis has 66 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Magnolol, Honokiol, Lignans, Flavonoids, Magnatriol B.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Magnolol | 25 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| Honokiol | 23 supporting sources | ★★★★★ |
| Lignans | 3 supporting sources | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Magnatriol B | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Phenols | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| alpha-Eudesmol | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| beta-Eudesmol | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 4'-Methoxymagnaldehyde B | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 4'-Methoxymagnaldehyde E | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Magnolol
- Dr. Duke
- Fish & shellfish immunology
- BMC plant biology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- BioFactors (Oxford, England)
View 20 additional sources
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
- Molecular immunology
- Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
- Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
- Neurochemical research
- The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology
- Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Planta medica
- Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- Journal of natural products
- PloS one
- Biochemical pharmacology
- Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology
- Journal of fish diseases
- Natural product communications
- International journal of molecular sciences
- Biochimica et biophysica acta
- Journal of chromatographic science
Honokiol
- Dr. Duke
- Fish & shellfish immunology
- BMC plant biology
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- BioFactors (Oxford, England)
View 18 additional sources
- Phytotherapy research : PTR
- Yao xue xue bao = Acta pharmaceutica Sinica
- Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
- Neurochemical research
- The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- The Prostate
- Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
- Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
- Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
- Journal of natural products
- Biochemical pharmacology
- Journal of fish diseases
- Pharmaceutical biology
- International journal of molecular sciences
- Biochimica et biophysica acta
- Journal of chromatographic science
Lignans
- iScience
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- The American journal of Chinese medicine
Flavonoids
- BMC plant biology
- Natural product communications
Magnatriol B
- Journal of natural products
- Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)
Phenols
- Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
- Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
alpha-Eudesmol
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of separation science
beta-Eudesmol
- Dr. Duke
- Journal of separation science
4'-Methoxymagnaldehyde B
- Journal of natural products
4'-Methoxymagnaldehyde E
- Journal of natural products
Activities
Magnolia officinalis has 369 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antiangiogenic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Anxiolytic.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antiangiogenic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anxiolytic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cardioprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Neuroprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Chronotropic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| (-)-Inotropic | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 11B-HSD-Inhibitor | Dr. Duke (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Magnolia officinalis has 35 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include anxiety, asthma, Depression, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| anxiety | Journal of natural products (and other 5 sources) | ★★★☆☆ |
| asthma | Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Depression | International journal of molecular sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| epilepsy | Journal of natural products (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alzheimer's disease | CNS & neurological disorders drug targets (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Anger | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Confusion | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Fatigue | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Helicobacter pylori | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| MRSA | Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Magnolia bark | Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bark | The Prostate (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cortex | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Journal of natural products (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Alcohol Extract | Drug design, development and therapy (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Banxia Houpu decoction | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cortex of Magnolia officinalis | Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid | Journal of chromatographic science (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Magnolia bark extract | Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Magnolia bark preparations | Biochimica et biophysica acta (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |