Neurotrophic activity of honokiol on the cultures of fetal rat cortical neurons.

Honokiol, a main biphenyl neolignan of the traditional crude medicine, Magnoliae cortex, was found to show neurotrophic activity on the cultures of rat cortical neurons at concentration from 0.1 to 10 microM. In the cortical neurons cultured in serum-free medium supplemented with B27, honokiol could promote neurite outgrowth. In addition, the survival and growth of neurons were significantly enhanced by adding honokiol to the primary cultures in serum-free medium supplemented with N2. Its neurotrophic activity was comparable to 40 ng mL(-1) of bFGF at concentration of 10 microM.