Forskolin
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Chemical Class | Labdane diterpene |
| Molecular Formula / CAS | C₂₂H₃₄O₇ · CAS 66575-29-9 |
| Primary Botanical Source(s) | Indian coleus / makandi (Coleus forskohlii, syn. Plectranthus barbatus) |
| Plant Part | Tuberous root |
| Typical Content | The principal bioactive diterpene of Coleus forskohlii root, standardised commercially to 10–20% |
| Solubility / Format | Available as standardised extract powders at multiple potency grades |
| Sourcing Status | Product-live — genuine match via Herbuno’s Coleus forskohlii extract line |
| Buy from Herbuno | Forskolin 20% Powder (Forskohlii Extract) · Forskolin 10% Powder |
Name origin: Forskolin takes its name from the plant genus Coleus (now reclassified as Plectranthus), reflecting its botanical origin as the tuberous root diterpene of Indian coleus. Traditional use: Coleus forskohlii root, known in Ayurvedic tradition as makandi, has been used for centuries for digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular and skin complaints across Indian herbal medicine, with the root also consumed as a pickled food item in some regions well before forskolin was chemically identified. Research trajectory: Forskolin was isolated in the 1970s during a systematic screening of Indian medicinal plants for cardiovascular and antihypertensive activity, and its discovery as a direct, receptor-independent activator of adenylate cyclase made it a foundational research tool in cell biology and pharmacology well beyond its botanical origins — it remains one of the most widely used laboratory reagents for artificially raising intracellular cAMP in cultured cells; applied research since has spanned body composition, glaucoma and several other therapeutic areas. Commercial source: Coleus forskohlii root is the standard and essentially sole commercial source of forskolin, and Herbuno’s standardised extracts reflect this well-established, genuine botanical match.
Evidence for Forskolin Applications
Forskolin is a labdane diterpene that directly activates adenylate cyclase without requiring hormone receptor mediation, raising intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels in a wide range of cell types. This receptor-independent mechanism is what distinguishes forskolin from most other plant-derived bioactives and is the basis for essentially all of its documented pharmacological effects, from lipolysis and positive cardiac inotropy to smooth-muscle relaxation and hormonal release modulation. Claim strength: High (mechanism).
A randomised controlled trial testing Coleus forskohlii extract alongside a hypocaloric diet in overweight and obese subjects over 12 weeks found improvements in insulin concentration, insulin resistance and lipid metabolism relative to diet alone, along with reduced intake of energy, carbohydrates, fats and cholesterol in the supplemented group (Loftus et al. 2015). This trial combined forskolin supplementation with dietary intervention rather than testing forskolin in isolation. Claim strength: Moderate.
Human evidence on forskolin and body composition specifically is mixed. A double-blind, randomised trial in mildly overweight women found that 12 weeks of Coleus forskohlii supplementation did not promote weight loss but may have helped mitigate weight gain, with no significant differences in body composition measures between groups and no clinically significant side effects observed (Henderson et al. 2005). This more cautious finding sits alongside other, smaller open-label studies reporting more favourable body-composition changes, illustrating inconsistency across the existing human trial literature. Claim strength: Moderate.
Separate from weight-management research, forskolin has a genuinely distinct and well-documented pharmaceutical application in ophthalmology: topical forskolin eye drops lower intraocular pressure by reducing aqueous humour formation via the same adenylate-cyclase-activating mechanism, and an open-label clinical study of 1% forskolin eye drops in open-angle glaucoma patients evaluated this effect directly in humans (et al.). This ophthalmological application represents one of forskolin’s more clinically substantiated uses, distinct from its more commonly marketed weight-management positioning. Claim strength: Moderate.
Because forskolin’s core mechanism (direct adenylate cyclase activation) is so broad and receptor-independent, it has been investigated across an unusually wide range of applications beyond weight management and glaucoma, including reported effects on platelet aggregation, smooth muscle relaxation, and pituitary hormone release. Formulators should treat forskolin’s mechanism-level evidence as strong while recognising that translation to any specific human-outcome claim (weight loss, in particular) carries a genuinely mixed clinical trial record. Claim strength: Moderate.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Human body-composition trials have most commonly used Coleus forskohlii extract standardised to 10% forskolin, dosed at 250 mg twice daily (25 mg forskolin twice daily, 50 mg/day total), though trial outcomes at this dose have been inconsistent across the published literature.
Analytical quantification of forskolin content is performed by HPLC, the standard method for Coleus forskohlii extract quality control; formulators should request HPLC-verified forskolin percentage since forskolin content in raw root material varies considerably by growing conditions and harvest timing.
Because forskolin directly raises intracellular cAMP through a receptor-independent mechanism, it carries a broader theoretical interaction profile than many botanical actives, including potential additive effects with other cAMP-modulating substances and blood-pressure-lowering medications; formulators should factor this mechanism-driven interaction potential into safety documentation rather than treating forskolin as a generic weight-management botanical.
Regulatory positioning for forskolin follows established Coleus forskohlii botanical-ingredient precedent in most dietary supplement markets; forskolin eye drops for glaucoma, by contrast, fall under separate pharmaceutical/ophthalmological regulatory pathways in jurisdictions where they are used clinically. Formulators should keep these two regulatory contexts distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions — Forskolin
The human evidence is mixed. Some trials combining forskolin with a reduced-calorie diet have shown improvements in insulin resistance and lipid metabolism, but a well-designed trial in mildly overweight women found no significant body composition changes from forskolin supplementation alone, though it may help limit weight gain.
Forskolin directly activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase without needing a hormone receptor, raising intracellular cAMP levels in a wide range of cell types. This receptor-independent mechanism is unusual and is why forskolin is used as a standard laboratory reagent in cell biology research, well beyond its dietary supplement applications.
Yes. Forskolin eye drops have been studied and used to lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients by reducing aqueous humour formation, a genuinely distinct pharmaceutical application from its weight-management dietary supplement use.
Most human body-composition trials have used Coleus forskohlii extract standardised to 10% forskolin, dosed at 250 mg twice daily. Results at this dose have been inconsistent across different studies, ranging from modest metabolic benefit to no significant effect.
Related compounds: Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA), Carnosic Acid