A team of scientists led by Leiden University in the Netherlands has recently discovered that a compound called honokiol, which is found in the bark of various species of magnolia tree, inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in several types of cells, causing the production of infectious viral particles to drop to around 1,000th of their previous levels. “If honokiol can be developed into a drug, possibly in combination with other compounds, stockpiling it would help us to increase our preparedness for the emergence of the next coronavirus,” said Martijn J. van Hemert, an associate professor of Medical Microbiology at Leiden. “Broad-spectrum drugs could then be used to treat early patients and prevent spread, or they could be used prophylactically among healthcare workers, and in high-risk groups, such as among nursing home residents.”