A Short Review on the Chemistry, Pharmacological Properties and Patents of Obovatol and Obovatal (Neolignans) from Magnolia obovata

This short review on the chemistry, pharmacological properties and patents of obovatol and obovatal from Magnolia obovata is the first publication. Pharmacological properties are focused on anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet and neuroprotective activities. Obovatol and obovatal were first isolated from the leaves of M. obovata. Also reported in the bark and fruits of M. obovata, obovatol and obovatal are neolignans i.e., biphenolic compounds bearing a C-O coupling. Other classes of compounds isolated and identified from M. obovata include sesquiterpene-neolignans, dineolignans, trineolignan, lignans, dilignans, phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, ketone and sterols. The anti-cancer properties of obovatol and obovatal involve apoptosis, inhibition of the growth, migration and invasion of cancer cell lines. However, obovatol displays cytotoxicity against cancer cells but not obovatal. Similarly, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet, neuroprotective, anxiolytic and other pharmacological activities were only observed in obovatol. The disparity in pharmacological properties of obovatol and obovatal may be attributed to the -CHO group present in obovatal but absent in obovatol. From 2007 to 2013, eight patents were published on obovatol with one mentioning obovatal. They were all published at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by scientists of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) as inventors and assignee, respectively. Some future research and prospects are suggested.