Magnolia bark compound could someday help treat drug-resistant epilepsy

In patients with epilepsy, normal neurological activity becomes disrupted, causing debilitating seizures. Now, researchers report that they have found a potential new treatment for this disorder by turning to traditional Chinese medicine. Tests of extracts from plants used in these ancient remedies led the team to one compound, derived from a magnolia tree, that could quell drug-resistant seizures in both fish and mice.