adaptogenEVIDENCEBUSOTC

Honokiol (Magnolia Bark)

aka Magnolol · Magnolia officinalis

Bioactive lignan from Magnolia bark. Anxiolytic via GABA-A modulation; also studied for sleep, mood, and neuroprotection.

Dose range250–1000mg

Half-life—h

Onset—min

Safety4/5low evidence base

Mechanism of action

Honokiol and magnolol are positive allosteric modulators of GABA-A receptors at sites distinct from benzodiazepines. The combination produces anxiolysis and mild sedation without typical benzodiazepine receptor downregulation. Also has direct anti-inflammatory effects through NF-κB suppression and neuroprotective effects in animal models.

History

Magnolia bark has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2000 years for anxiety, stress, and digestive complaints. The active compounds were isolated and characterised in the 1970s. Modern research has accelerated in the 2000s with clear demonstration of GABA-A modulation mechanism. Multiple animal model studies support anxiolytic effects; smaller human evidence base. Unscheduled globally.

Benefits

Anxiolytic effect
EVIDENCEB
Multiple animal studies and small human trials.
Sleep quality
EVIDENCEB
Combined with ziziphus extracts.
Neuroprotection
EVIDENCEC
Animal models.

Side effects

Drowsinesscommonmild
GI upsetuncommonmild

Cited research

Honokiol GABA-A modulation (Squires)1999
PMID 9716370 ↗
Magnolia bark extract for sleep and anxiety (Talbott)2013
PMID 23926565 ↗
Honokiol pharmacology review (Woodbury)2013
PMID 23647584 ↗

Where to buy

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Vendor	Product	Size	Price	Per unit
Nootropics DepotFeatured 4.8	Honokiol (Magnolia Bark) — Nootropics Depot	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
Double Wood Supplements 4.4	Honokiol (Magnolia Bark) — Double Wood	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
Amazon Marketplace 3.5	Honokiol (Magnolia Bark) — Amazon	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
iHerb 4.2	Honokiol (Magnolia Bark) — iHerb	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad

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