Magnolol / Apoptosis Cancer Research Results

MAG, Magnolol: Click to Expand ⟱

Features:

Lignan found in bark of some magnolia species.
Magnolol (MAG) — a bioactive biphenolic compound from Magnolia officinalis
derived from the bark (roots and branches) of Magnolia species such as M. officinalis, M. obovata, and M. grandiflora
The two main bioactive compounds isolated from these plants are MAG (5,5ʹ-diallyl-2,2ʹ-dihydroxybiphenyl) and Honokiol (3,5ʹ-diallyl-4,2ʹ-dihydroxybiphenyl) (Fig. 1) which are phenolic regioisomers.
In the bark extracts of Magnolia plants, the composition of MAG ranges from 1 to 10%, while Honokiol comprises 1 to 5%
Magnolol is a biphenolic neolignan isolated from the bark of Magnolia officinalis. It is structurally related to honokiol and is studied for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroactive effects. In preclinical oncology models, magnolol is reported to modulate NF-κB, STAT3, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, and redox pathways, with downstream effects on cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, invasion/EMT, and angiogenesis. Oral bioavailability is limited and many cytotoxic concentrations reported in vitro are in the tens of µM range, often above typical systemic levels from standard supplementation.

major pathways and molecular targets involved in magnolol’s anticancer actions:
-Apoptosis: ↑ Bax, ↓ Bcl-2, ↑ cytochrome c, ↑ caspase-9, ↑ caspase-3
-Arrests cell cycle at G0/G1 or G2/M phase:↓ Cyclin D1, CDK4, CDK6, Cyclin B1, CDK1
-Inhibits NF-κB activation: ↓ IκBα, COX-2, TNF-α
-Inhibits PI3K, Akt, and mTOR phosphorylation
-Suppresses angiogenesis: ↓ Bcl-XL, Mcl-1, VEGF, cyclin D1
-Inhibits β-catenin nuclear translocation
-increase ROS production in tumor cells → triggers mitochondrial apoptosis
-Magnolol activates Nrf2 in normal cells → upregulates HO-1, NQO1: Protects normal tissue from oxidative stress during chemotherapy or inflammation.

Most in-vitro IC50 values fall in the 10–100 µM range, often above typical systemic exposure.

Rank	Pathway / Axis	Cancer / Tumor Context	Normal Tissue Context	TSF	Primary Effect	Notes / Interpretation
1	NF-κB inflammatory / survival transcription	NF-κB ↓; COX-2, cytokines, Bcl-2 family ↓ (reported)	Inflammation tone ↓	R, G	Anti-inflammatory + anti-survival transcription	One of the most consistently reported mechanisms in both inflammatory and tumor models.
2	STAT3 signaling	STAT3 phosphorylation ↓ (reported)	↔	R, G	Oncogenic transcription suppression	Reported in several cancer cell systems; contributes to reduced proliferation and survival signaling.
3	PI3K → AKT → mTOR pathway	PI3K/AKT signaling ↓ (model-dependent)	↔	R, G	Growth/survival modulation	Frequently described as downstream of inflammatory pathway suppression; context-dependent strength.
4	Nrf2 / ARE antioxidant response	Modulation context-dependent; may decrease oxidative stress or alter redox tone	Nrf2 ↑; HO-1 ↑; GSH ↑ (cytoprotective)	R, G	Redox regulation	Magnolol activates Nrf2 in non-malignant oxidative stress models; tumor direction varies and may influence therapy sensitivity.
5	MAPK pathways (ERK / JNK / p38)	MAPK modulation (stress activation or ERK suppression; context-dependent)	↔	P, R, G	Signal reprogramming	JNK/p38 activation and ERK modulation reported variably depending on cell type and dose.
6	Cell-cycle arrest (G0/G1 or G2/M)	Cell-cycle arrest ↑ (reported)	↔	G	Cytostasis	Associated with Cyclin D1/CDK modulation and checkpoint protein regulation.
7	Intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondrial pathway)	Apoptosis ↑; caspases ↑; Bax/Bcl-2 ratio ↑ (reported)	↔ (generally less activation)	G	Cell death execution	Often downstream of survival pathway inhibition and ROS signaling shifts.
8	ROS / redox modulation	ROS ↑ in some tumor models; antioxidant effects in non-tumor systems	Oxidative stress ↓ in inflammatory models	P, R, G	Context-dependent redox modulation	Biphasic redox behavior similar to other polyphenols; not a universally tumor-selective pro-oxidant.
9	Wnt/β-catenin signaling	β-catenin signaling ↓ (reported)	↔	G	Proliferation/invasion modulation	Reported particularly in colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma models; keep model-qualified.
10	Invasion / metastasis (MMPs / EMT)	MMP2/MMP9 ↓; EMT markers ↓; migration ↓ (reported)	↔	G	Anti-invasive phenotype	Often secondary to NF-κB/STAT3 pathway suppression.
11	Bioavailability constraint	Limited oral bioavailability; rapid metabolism	—	—	Translation constraint	Plasma levels after oral dosing are typically lower than many in-vitro cytotoxic concentrations.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

P: 0–30 min (rapid signaling/redox interactions)
R: 30 min–3 hr (acute transcription and stress-response signaling shifts)
G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype outcomes)

Apoptosis, Apoptosis: Click to Expand ⟱

Source:

Type: type of cell death

Situation in which a cell actively pursues a course toward death upon receiving certain stimuli.
Cancer is one of the scenarios where too little apoptosis occurs, resulting in malignant cells that will not die.

Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱

4523-

HNK,

MAG,

BA,

Honokiol-Magnolol-Baicalin Possesses Synergistic Anticancer Potential and Enhances the Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy in Colorectal Cancer by Triggering GSDME-Dependent Pyroptosis

in-vitro,

CRC,

HCT116

in-vitro,

CRC,

LoVo

in-vivo,

CRC,

HCT116

mice

AntiCan↑, eff↑, TumCP↓, TumCCA↓, cycD1/CCND1↓, Pyro↑, Apoptosis↑, cl‑GSDME↑, Bcl-2↓, Cyt‑c↑, Casp9↑, TumCG↓,

4531-

MAG,

Magnolol-induced apoptosis in HCT-116 colon cancer cells is associated with the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway

in-vitro,

CRC,

HCT116

Apoptosis↑, DNAdam↑, Casp3↑, cl‑PARP↑, p‑AMPK↑, Bcl-2↓, P53↑, BAX↑, Cyt‑c↑, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓,

4526-

MAG,

HNK,

Targeting apoptosis pathways in cancer with magnolol and honokiol, bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis

Review,

Var,

*antiOx↑, *Inflam↓, *Bacteria↓, *toxicity↓, AntiTum↑, Apoptosis↑, DR5↝,

4527-

MAG,

Magnolol inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in esophagus cancer KYSE-150 cell lines via the MAP kinase pathway

in-vitro,

ESCC,

TE1

in-vitro,

ESCC,

Eca109

vitro+vivo,

SCC,

KYSE150

mouse

TumCP↓, TumCMig↓, MMP2↓, Apoptosis↑, cl‑Casp3↑, cl‑Casp9↑, BAX↑, Bcl-2↓, p‑p38↓, TumCG↓,

4528-

MAG,

Pharmacology, Toxicity, Bioavailability, and Formulation of Magnolol: An Update

Review,

Nor,

*Inflam↑, *cardioP↑, *angioG↓, *antiOx↑, *neuroP↑, *Bacteria↓, AntiTum↑, TumCG↓, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, Apoptosis↑, E-cadherin↑, NF-kB↓, TumCCA↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, PCNA↓, Ki-67↓, MMP2↓, MMP7↓, MMP9↓, TumCG↓, Casp3↑, NF-kB↓, Akt↓, mTOR↓, LDH↓, Ca+2↑, eff↑, *toxicity↓, *BioAv↝, *PGE2↓, *TLR2↓, *TLR4↓, *MAPK↓, *PPARγ↓,

5252-

MAG,

Insights on the Multifunctional Activities of Magnolol

Review,

Var,

BioAv↓, *Inflam↓, *Bacteria↓, *antiOx↑, *neuroP↑, *cardioP↑, CYP1A1↓, *PPARγ↑, *NF-kB↓, *COX2↓, *iNOS↓, *ROS↓, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, cycA1/CCNA1↓, CDK2↓, P21↑, TumCG↓, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, Ki-67↓, PCNA↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, MMP7↓, DNAdam↑, MMP↓, TumCP↓, selectivity↑, PI3K↓, Akt↓, H2O2↓, Hif1a↓, *BDNF↑, *NRF2↑, *AChE↑,

4533-

MAG,

Magnolol, a natural compound, induces apoptosis of SGC-7901 human gastric adenocarcinoma cells via the mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways

in-vitro,

GC,

SGC-7901

AntiCan↑, DNAdam↑, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, Bax:Bcl2↑, MMP↓, Casp3↑, PI3K↓, Akt↓,

4534-

MAG,

Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by magnolol in colon and liver cancer cells

in-vitro,

Liver,

HepG2

in-vitro,

CRC,

COLO205

AntiCan↑, Apoptosis↑, selectivity↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Casp3↑, Casp8↑, Casp9↑, Bcl-2↓,

4536-

MAG,

Magnolol suppresses proliferation of cultured human colon and liver cancer cells by inhibiting DNA synthesis and activating apoptosis

in-vitro,

Liver,

HepG2

in-vivo,

CRC,

COLO205

implanted subcutaneously in nude mice

AntiCan↑, selectivity↑, TumCCA↑, P21↑, Apoptosis↑,

4537-

MAG,

Effects of magnolol on UVB-induced skin cancer development in mice and its possible mechanism of action

in-vivo,

Melanoma,

 SKH-1 mice

in-vitro,

Melanoma,

A431

*cl‑Casp8↑, *PARP↑, *P21↑, tumCV↓, TumCP↓, TumCCA↑, CycB/CCNB1↓, cycA1/CCNA1↓, CDK4↓, CDC2↓, P21↑, Apoptosis↑,

4517-

MAG,

Mitochondrion-targeted magnolol derivatives exert synergistic anticancer activity by modulating energy metabolism and tumor microenvironment

vitro+vivo,

Var,

eff↑, AntiCan↑, ROS↑, ER Stress↑, Apoptosis↑,

4516-

MAG,

Magnolol Induces Apoptosis and Suppresses Immune Evasion in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Xenograft Models

in-vivo,

NSCLC,

selectivity↑, Apoptosis↑, TumCCA↑, Casp3↑, cycD1/CCND1↓, CDK4↓, VEGF↓, FOXP3↓, IDO1↓,

4515-

MAG,

Magnolol as a Potential Anticancer Agent: A Proposed Mechanistic Insight

Review,

Var,

AntiCan↑, TumCP↓, TumCCA↑, Apoptosis↑, TumCMig↑, angioG↓, PI3K↓, Akt↓, mTOR↓, MAPK↓, NF-kB↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 13 of 13

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 13

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 6, AntiTum↑, 2,
Total Targets: 63

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 3, NRF2↑, 1, ROS↓, 1,

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

PPARγ↓, 1, PPARγ↑, 1,

Cell Death ⓘ

cl‑Casp8↑, 1, iNOS↓, 1, MAPK↓, 1,

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

PARP↑, 1,

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

P21↑, 1,

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1, Inflam↓, 2, Inflam↑, 1, NF-kB↓, 1, PGE2↓, 1, TLR2↓, 1, TLR4↓, 1,

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↑, 1, BDNF↑, 1,

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↝, 1,

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 2, neuroP↑, 2, toxicity↓, 2,

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

Bacteria↓, 3,
Total Targets: 25

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: Apoptosis, Apoptosis

13 Magnolol
2 Honokiol
1 Baicalin

Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:121  Target#:14  State#:%  Dir#:2
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

Magnolol / Apoptosis Cancer Research Results

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

Cell Death ⓘ

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

Migration ⓘ

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

Cell Death ⓘ

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

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