Magnolia officinalis.  厚 朴 Hòu pò Magnolia   Family: Magnoliaceae        
 
厚 朴 Hòu pò   Magnolia bark- harvested in Spring from plants 15-20 years old  
Nature: Warm    FLAVOR: Bitter, acrid, pungent, aromatic CHANNELS: Large intestine, Lung, Spleen, Stomach
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Aromatic Damp Resolving
1. Promotes movment of Qi,[4] transforms Dampness and resolves stagnation.[1,2,4]
2. Warms and transforms Phlegm,[4] and directs rebelious Qi downward.[1,4] Lubricates the intestines.[1]
ACTIONS
INDICATIONS- important herb for reducing and eliminating distention and fullness- expecially when due to excess.[4]
1. Dampness distress of the Spleen and Stomach or in cases of food stagnation.[3,4] Chest opression, abdominal distention and fullness,[1,4] loss of appetite,[4] vomiting and diarrhea.[4] Abdominal distension.[1,4] Constipation.[1] Dysentery.[1,2] Diarrhea.[3] Indigestion. Acute enteritis.[3]
2. Wheezing due to obstruction by phlegm.[4] Excessive sputum production, asthma.[1,2,3] Coughing,[1,2,4] with stifling sensation in chest.[4] Emphysema- soothes bronchial spasm, cramping bronchitis.[3]
 3. Gastroenteritis.
          a) Retention of food in stomach.[1]
          b) Full Hot Stomach- skin dry, lips dry, P- rapid.[1]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Don't use with KNO4- Potassium nitrate. Use with caution during pregnancy. According to some traditonal sources, this herb antagonizes Alisma plantago- Ze xie[4] and Calcitum- Hua shui shi.[4]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction. Dried bark of root and stem 3-9 g.[1,2,4] Good quality bark is thick, finely textured, oily, and aromatic, with a deep purple inner surface.
     
厚 朴 花  Hòu pò huā   Magnolia flower      
Nature- slightly warm   FLAVOR: Bitter, acrid, aromatic
FUNCTIONS
 1. Similar but weaker than the bark, but focuses more on the upper and middle Burners and also regulates the Liver Qi.[4]
2. Regulate energy, transform Dampness.
INDICATIONS
1. Congested chest.[4]
2. Stomachache due to disharmony between the LIver and Stomach.[1,4]
PREPARATIONS: Blossoms 2.5-4 g.[1] Dry flower in the bud 3-9 g.[2] 3-6 g.[4]

HABITAT: Usually found growing in alpine and hilly areas, or cultivated.
DESCRIPTION: Deciduous tree. Trunk bark; purplish-brown, usually branching, lenticels obvious. Upper leaf; large and noticable. Leaves; coriaceous, alternate, collecting densely at terminal end of branches, obovate or long obovate, apexes obtuse-rounded or containg very short points, bases cuneate, margins intact, young leaves covered by greyish-white pubescent hairs on the dorsal surface. Flowers; in late spring, large and white solitary flowers appear terminally, fragrant. Fruit; a follicle, ovate-oval or long ovate-elliptic.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Research
Hou po is a very safe herb wehn given orally, however, when given intravenously is does exhibit some cruare-like effects. The LD50 for an intraperitoneal injection of a decoction is 6 g/kg. and the lowest lethal does in cats is 4.25 g/kg.[1]
References
[1] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7

Inhibitory effect of Magnolia officinalis and lovastatin on aortic oxidative stress and apoptosis in hyperlipidemic rabbits.
Chang WC, Yu YM, Hsu YM, Wu CH, Yin PL, Chiang SY, Hung JS.
Abstract
Oxidative stress and apoptosis are 2 major characteristics of the progression of atherosclerosis. Both lovastatin and Magnolia officinalis are hypocholesterolemic agents. Therefore, we investigated the effect of M. officinalis extract on the prevention of atherosclerosis in comparison with lovastatin. Twenty hyperlipidemic rabbits were served one of the following diets: a high-fat and cholesterol diet (cholesterol group, 10% corn oil and 0.5% cholesterol), a high fat and cholesterol diet supplemented with M. officinalis extract (300 mg/kg) or lovastatin (6 mg/kg). The plasma lipids, oxidative stress (measured by free radical, malondialdehyde, and oxidative DNA damage), and arterial lesions significantly decreased in the M. officinalis and lovastatin groups when compared with the cholesterol group. Moreover, the expressions of Fas ligand, caspase 8, and caspase 9 in the aortic arches were also markedly lowered after M. officinalis and lovastatin supplements. Therefore, the results indicate that the antiatherogenic effect of M. officinalis is involved with a suppression of oxidative stress and with the down-regulation of apoptosis-related gene expression in hyperlipidemic rabbits.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2006 Mar;47(3):463-8. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  

Magnolia officinalis (Hou Po) bark extract stimulates the Nrf2-pathway in hepatocytes and protects against oxidative stress.
Rajgopal A, Missler SR, Scholten JD.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
The highly aromatic bark of Magnolia officinalis Rehder and EH Wilson, (magnolia bark) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine where it is known as Hou Po. Historically the bark of the tree has been used for treating variety of disorders the most common use of magnolia bark in traditional prescription has been to treat stress and anxiety disorders. Till date it is not clear regarding the fundamental cellular pathway it modulates. NRF2 signaling has emerged as the central pathway that protects cells from variety of stressors this led us to hypothesize that basis for magnolia bark's effects could be via activating NRF2 pathway.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
We utilized variety of biochemical procedures like luciferase reporter assay, enzyme induction, gene expression to determine NRF2 inducing activity by magnolia bark extract and its significance. Further we identified the phytochemicals inducing this activity using bio-directed fractionation procedure.
RESULTS:
In this study, we demonstrate that magnolia bark extract activates Nrf2-dependent gene expression and protects against hydrogen peroxide mediated oxidative stress in hepatocytes. We further identified through HPLC fractionation and mass spectroscopy that magnolol, 4-methoxy honokiol and honokiol are the active phytochemicals inducing the Nrf2-mediated activity. This could be the molecular basis for its numerous beneficial activity.
PMID: 27721050 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.016  J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Dec 4;193:657-662. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.016. Epub 2016 Oct 6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Magnolia Extract, Magnolol, and Metabolites: Activation of Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors and Blockade of the Related GPR55
Viktor Rempel, Alexander Fuchs, Sonja Hinz, Tadeusz Karcz, Matthias Lehr, Uwe Koetter‡ and Christa E. Müller- corresponding author
Abstract
The bark of Magnolia officinalis is used in Asian traditional medicine for the treatment of anxiety, sleeping disorders, and allergic diseases. We found that the extract and its main bioactive constituents, magnolol and honokiol, can activate cannabinoid (CB) receptors. In cAMP accumulation studies, magnolol behaved as a partial agonist (EC50 = 3.28 μM) with selectivity for the CB2 subtype, while honokiol was less potent showing full agonistic activity at CB1 and antagonistic properties at CB2. We subsequently synthesized the major metabolites of magnolol and found that tetrahydromagnolol (7) was 19-fold more potent than magnolol (EC50 CB2 = 0.170 μM) exhibiting high selectivity versus CB1. Additionally, 7 behaved as an antagonist at GPR55, a CB-related orphan receptor (KB = 13.3 μM, β-arrestin translocation assay). Magnolol and its metabolites may contribute to the biological activities of Magnolia extract via the observed mechanisms of action. Furthermore, the biphenylic compound magnolol provides a simple novel lead structure for the development of agonists for CB receptors and antagonists for the related GPR55.
ACS Med Chem Lett. 2013 Jan 10; 4(1): 41–45.
Published online 2012 Nov 14. doi: 10.1021/ml300235q
PMCID: PMC4027495
PMID: 24900561 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense (Relora®) on cortisol and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects
Shawn M Talbott,corresponding author Julie A Talbott, and Mike Pugh
Abstract
Background
Magnolia (Magnolia officinalis) and Phellodendron (Phellodendron amurense) barks are medicinal plants commonly used as traditional remedies for reducing stress and anxiety. Modern dietary supplements are intended to induce relaxation and reduce stress as well as stress-related eating. Previous studies have shown the combination of Magnolia/Phellodendron (MP) to reduce both cortisol exposure and the perception of stress/anxiety, while improving weight loss in subjects with stress-related eating. Competitive athletes are “stressed” by their intense exercise regimens in addition to their normal activities of daily living and thus may benefit from a natural therapy intended to modulate baseline perceptions of stress and stress hormone exposure.
Methods
We assessed salivary cortisol exposure and psychological mood state in 56 subjects (35 men and 21 women) screened for moderate stress and supplemented with a standardized/patented MP combination (Relora®, Next Pharmaceuticals) or Placebo for 4 weeks.
Results
After 4 weeks of supplementation, salivary cortisol exposure was significantly (p<0.05) lower (−18%) in the Relora group compared to Placebo. Compared to Placebo, the Relora group had significantly better (p<0.05) mood state parameters, including lower indices of Overall Stress (−11%), Tension (−13%), Depression (−20%), Anger (−42%), Fatigue (−31%), and Confusion (−27%), and higher indices of Global Mood State (+11%) and Vigor (+18%).
Conclusion
These results indicate that daily supplementation with a combination of Magnolia bark extract and Phellodendron bark extract (Relora®) reduces cortisol exposure and perceived daily stress, while improving a variety of mood state parameters, including lower fatigue and higher vigor. These results suggest an effective natural approach to modulating the detrimental health effects of chronic stress in moderately stressed adults. Future studies should examine the possible performance and recovery benefits of Relora supplementation in athletes overstressed by the physical and psychological demands of training and competition.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013; 10: 37.
Published online 2013 Aug 7. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-10-37
PMCID: PMC3750820
PMID: 23924268 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Identification of Magnolia officinalis L. bark extract as the most potent anti-inflammatory of four plant extracts.
Walker JM, Maitra A, Walker J, Ehrnhoefer-Ressler MM, Inui T, Somoza V.
Abstract
This study was designed to compare the anti-inflammatory potential of a Magnolia officinalis L. bark extract solely or in combination with extracts prepared from either Polygonum aviculare L., Sambucus nigra L., or Isodon japonicus L. in bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated human gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1) and human U-937 monocytes, as cell models of periodontal disease. HGF-1 and U-937 cells were incubated with LPS from either Porphyromonas gingivalis or Escherichia coli together with the four plant extracts alone or in combination. Secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines from HGF-1 and U-937 cells was measured by means of a multiplexed bead assay system. Magnolia officinalis L. bark extract, at concentrations of 1 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL, reduced interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from HGF-1 cells to 72.5 ± 28.6% and reduced matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) secretion from U-937 cells to 8.87 ± 7.97% compared to LPS-treated cells (100%). The other three extracts also reduced secretion of these inflammatory markers but were not as effective. Combination of 9 μg/mL Magnolia officinalis L. extract with 1 μg/mL of each of the other extracts maintained the anti-inflammatory effect of Magnolia officinalis L. extract. Combination of 5 μg/mL Magnolia officinalis L. extract with 5 μg/mL Isodon japonicus L. extract also maintained the anti-inflammatory potential of the Magnolia officinalis L. extract, whereas increasing concentrations of any of the other plant extracts in the combination experiments reduced the Magnolia officinalis L. extract efficacy in U-937 cells.
PMID: 23711140 DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X13500389 Am J Chin Med. 2013;41(3):531-44. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X13500389. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov