Head and neck cancers include cancers of the mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), sinuses and salivary glands. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, more than 55,000 Americans are diagnosed with head and neck cancer, and almost 13,000 die from these diseases annually.

A study from the University of Alabama and the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center found that a magnolia herb extract called honokiol may treat these cancers. It tested human cancer cell lines in the laboratory from different parts of the body, including the mouth, larynx, tongue and pharynx. The researchers found that the honokiol extract halted the growth of each of these cancer cells and induced cell death.

Lead researcher Dr. Santosh K. Katiyar and his colleagues wrote, “Conclusively, honokiol appears to be an attractive, bioactive, small-molecule phytochemical for the management of head and neck cancer, which can be used either alone or in combination with other available therapeutic drugs.”