Magnolia Bark

Magnolia bark—supports gut health and contributes to physical wellbeing. 

What is magnolia bark? 

Magnolia bark comes from trees of the Magnolia genus and has been used for centuries in Chinese and Japanese botanical traditions. 

Two of its best-studied compounds are honokiol and magnolol. 

How does magnolia bark work? 

This is one of the clearest GABA stories in the SENTIA botanical library. Experimental research found that honokiol and magnolol act as positive allosteric modulators of GABA-A receptors. In plain English, they bind somewhere other than GABA’s own binding site and can help the receptor respond more strongly to GABA already present in the brain. [1] 

Why does SENTIA use magnolia bark? 

SENTIA begins with a simple idea: work with what is already there. Your brain already makes GABA. Magnolia bark is scientifically interesting because compounds inside the plant have been studied for the way they interact with the receptors responding to that natural signal. 

Plant chemistry. Brain chemistry. Human chemistry. 

Which SENTIA products contain magnolia bark? 

• GABA Red GABA Red
• GABA Black GABA Black
• SENTIA CASK SENTIA CASK
• SENTIA CIDER

Magnolia bark FAQs 

- What are honokiol and magnolol? 
They are naturally occurring compounds found in magnolia bark. 

- How do honokiol and magnolol interact with GABA? 
Laboratory research has shown both compounds can positively modulate GABA-A receptors. [1] 

- Can honokiol reach the brain? 
Experimental research and scientific reviews report that honokiol can cross the blood-brain barrier. [2] 

Sources 

[1] Alexeev et al. The natural products magnolol and honokiol are positive allosteric modulators of synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors, 2012. 
[2] Woodbury et al. Neuroprotective effects of honokiol: from chemistry to medicine, 2017. 
[3] Nutt et al. Functional Alternatives to Alcohol, Nutrients, 2022.