Name: Honokiol

IUPAC name: 2-(4-hydroxy-3-prop-2-enyl-phenyl)- 4-prop-2-enyl-phenol

Other names: houpa, hnk

Active ingredient: Honokiol

Molecular formula :C₁₈H₁₈O₂

Molar mass :266.334 g/mol

Appearance :White solid

[CAS Number] 35354-74-6

Solubility in water: sparingly (25 °C)

Molecular Structure:

Botanical source: Magnolia officinalis Rehd.et Wils.
Biogenic origin: Wild in central and southern China

A compound found in magnolia species holds exciting promise in the management of anxiety, cancer, and other challenging conditions.

Honokiol is a bi-phenolic compound with the formula C₁₈H₁₈O₂ and a relatively small molecular weight of 266 grams/mole. This molecule is found in several species of the genus magnolia including M. officinalis, obovata, and grandifolia. It is an isomer of another compound also found in magnolia materials called magnolol, which has 1000 times the antioxidant potential of vitamin E. The dried bark of M. officinalis usually has about 1-5% hanokiol and 2-10% magnolol.

Magnolia Species and Traditional Use

While magnolia species have been incorporated in traditional healing systems throughout the world, the barks of Chinese M. officinalis and Japanese M. obuvata have become quite popular due to their verified levels of phytochemicals like honokiol. The bark of M. officinale (houpa) is often sought for incorporation in traditional Chinese formulas addressing “chi stagnation”, asthma, anxiety, cancer, and digestive disorders.

China produces well over 200 tons of magnolia bark a year. With its popularity comes the concern of over-harvesting since the tree is killed during bark procurement. A positive side to this is that the honokiol molecule is not very complex and is easily synthesized through organic chemistry methods.

Pharmokinetics

Honokiol appears to be non toxic, easily absorbed, and systematically available. This is important since many promising materials like Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) are not absorbed well in the digestive tract. Honokiol also avoids immediate clearing by the liver (first pass effect) and crosses blood barriers that often exclude other compounds.Honokiol  has a significant, long-lasting central muscle relaxation, inhibition of the central nervous system, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, disease of the original microbial, anti-ulcer, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, morphine withdrawal response, inhibit platelet aggregation and other pharmacological effects for the treatment of acute enteritis. bacterial or amoebic dysentery. chronic gastritis. Among them, the antibacterial effect of magnolol on the Gram-positive bacteria, acid-resistant bacteria, filamentous fungi have significant antimicrobial activity, a more significant antibacterial effect on Streptococcus mutans, the strongest inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus. Clinically for the elimination of the chest and abdomen full of nausea, sedation central nervous system, athletes, muscle relaxants, anti-fungal, anti-ulcer drugs

Recent studies have explored honokiol and found validation for it as a treatment option for anxiety, cancer, peridontal disease, stroke, inflammation, and even weight loss.

Physical properties
This product is tan to white fine powder, gas smell, taste spicy, slightly bitter flavor. The monomer is a colorless needle crystal (water), melting point 102 ° C. Soluble in benzene, ether, chloroform, acetone and common organic solvents, insoluble in water, soluble in dilute solution of caustic soda to get sodium. Phenolic hydroxyl group susceptible to oxidation, allyl is easy to carry out the addition reaction.

Application of formulations
Suppositories, lotions, tablets, capsules, and so on.
Product storage: Store in a cool, dry, dark, avoid heat

Purification

Several methods for purifying honokiol have been utilized. As honokiol exists naturally with its structural isomer magnolol, which differs from honokiol only by the position of one hydroxyl group, purification has often been limited to a HPLC or electromigration. However, methods developed in 2006 by workers in the lab of Jack L. Arbiser, took advantage of the proximity of the phenolic hydroxyl groups in magnolol, which form a protectable diol, to generate a magnolol acetonide (Figure 1), with a subsequent simple purification via flash chromatography over silica.