Corosolic Acid
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Chemical Class | Pentacyclic triterpenoid (ursane-type) |
| Molecular Formula / CAS | C₃₀H₄₈O₄ · CAS 4547-24-4 |
| Primary Botanical Source(s) | Banaba leaf (Lagerstroemia speciosa) |
| Plant Part | Leaf |
| Typical Content | A minor but well-characterised triterpenoid fraction of banaba leaf, typically standardised to 1–18% in commercial extracts |
| Solubility / Format | Lipophilic, polar triterpenoid; available as standardised extract powders at multiple potency grades |
| Sourcing Status | Product-live — genuine match via Herbuno’s banaba leaf extract line |
| Buy from Herbuno | Corosolic Acid 18% Powder (Banaba Extract) |
Name origin: Corosolic acid takes its name from “corosol,” an older regional name for related plants, and is also known by the synonym 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, reflecting its structural relationship to the more widely distributed triterpenoid ursolic acid. Traditional use: Banaba leaf, also known as Crepe Myrtle, has been used in folk medicine across the Philippines and broader Southeast Asia for decades to treat diabetes, prepared traditionally as a leaf tea or decoction, with the first published scientific research on its hypoglycaemic effect dating to 1940. Research trajectory: Early banaba research through the mid-20th century focused on establishing the basic hypoglycaemic effect of leaf decoctions; corosolic acid was subsequently identified as a principal active constituent alongside ellagitannins, and research since has progressed from animal models through preliminary human clinical studies examining both whole banaba extract and purified corosolic acid specifically. Commercial source: Banaba leaf is the standard commercial source of corosolic acid, and Herbuno’s standardised extract reflects this well-established, genuine botanical match.
Evidence for Corosolic Acid Applications
Corosolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid that activates cellular glucose transport and increases cellular glucose uptake, proposed as the primary mechanism behind banaba leaf’s traditional and researched blood-sugar-lowering effect. A comprehensive review of banaba and corosolic acid efficacy and safety describes multiple mechanisms of action including enhanced cellular glucose uptake, impaired hydrolysis of dietary sucrose and starches, decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis, and regulation of lipid metabolism, potentially mediated through PPAR, MAPK and NF-κB signal transduction pathways (Stohs et al. 2012). Claim strength: Moderate.
A 2025 narrative review focused specifically on prediabetes management found that both banaba extract and isolated corosolic acid exert insulin-sensitising, glucose-lowering and lipid-lowering properties in preclinical research, with clinical trials confirming these effects in individuals with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes specifically (et al. 2025). This prediabetes-specific framing is notable since much earlier banaba research focused on established diabetes rather than the earlier metabolic-risk population. Claim strength: Moderate.
A dedicated review of banaba and corosolic acid in diabetes management reports that pure corosolic acid has been shown to decrease blood sugar levels within 60 minutes in human subjects, alongside antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activity, with no adverse effects observed in either animal studies or controlled human clinical trials reviewed (Stohs & Miller 2012). This rapid onset finding is one of the more specific human-relevant data points in the corosolic acid literature. Claim strength: Moderate.
Corosolic acid research has also extended beyond glucose metabolism into anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, antineoplastic and osteoblastic activity in various preclinical models, reflecting the broader pattern seen across many pentacyclic triterpenoids structurally related to ursolic and oleanolic acid. This breadth of reported activity should be read as an actively expanding preclinical research area rather than a settled, fully-clinically-validated profile across all these applications. Claim strength: Emerging.
A separate small human study using a banaba extract capsule delivering 10 mg corosolic acid daily for two weeks found a significant inhibitory effect on postprandial blood glucose rise after a starch meal, alongside modest weight and BMI improvement, in a cohort of 12 subjects; this remains a small pilot-scale study and would benefit from replication in a larger, controlled trial before firmer dosing conclusions are drawn. Claim strength: Emerging.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Published human research has evaluated corosolic acid at doses in the low single-digit milligram range daily (around 10 mg in the postprandial glucose study referenced above) up to slightly higher doses in other reviewed studies; no single dose has been established as a definitive clinical standard, and formulators should reference the specific study design most relevant to their intended positioning.
Analytical quantification of corosolic acid content is performed by HPLC, the standard method used across the banaba research and commercial extract literature; formulators should request HPLC-verified corosolic acid percentage, since banaba leaf also contains ellagitannins that contribute to its traditional hypoglycaemic reputation but are analytically and functionally distinct from corosolic acid.
Because corosolic acid research is concentrated on glucose and lipid metabolism, formulators should note that individuals taking insulin or other glucose-lowering medications may need monitoring when combining these with a corosolic-acid-standardised banaba product, consistent with the general caution applied to hypoglycaemic botanical ingredients used alongside pharmaceutical glucose management.
Regulatory positioning for corosolic acid follows established banaba leaf food and botanical-ingredient precedent in most markets, with banaba having a long traditional food and folk-medicine use history in the Philippines and broader Southeast Asia; no corosolic-acid-specific regulatory limit exists beyond standard botanical-ingredient documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions — Corosolic Acid
Banaba leaf, the source of corosolic acid, has been used in Philippine and Southeast Asian folk medicine for decades to manage diabetes, prepared traditionally as a leaf tea. The first published scientific study on its hypoglycaemic effect dates to 1940, and modern research has since identified corosolic acid as a principal active constituent.
Research reviews report that pure corosolic acid has been shown to decrease blood sugar levels within 60 minutes in human subjects, and a separate small study found it reduced postprandial blood glucose rise after a starch meal within one week of daily use.
No, but they are closely related. Corosolic acid is also known as 2α-hydroxyursolic acid, meaning it is a hydroxylated derivative of ursolic acid, a more widely distributed triterpenoid found in many other plants. The added hydroxyl group distinguishes their structure and, potentially, their specific bioactivity profile.
This requires medical guidance. Because corosolic acid and banaba extract have documented glucose-lowering activity, individuals taking insulin or other glucose-lowering medications should have their blood sugar monitored if combining these with a corosolic-acid-standardised product, consistent with general caution around hypoglycaemic botanical ingredients.
Related compounds: Diosgenin, Ursolic Acid