Coleus forskohlii
Forskholii comes from the roots of the Coleus forskohlii plant, the only known plant source of forskolin.
About Coleus Forkohlii
- Coleus Forskohlii Briq. (synonyms, C. barbatus Benth., Plectranthus forskohlii Willd., P. barbatus Andr. and P. comosus Willemse) a member of the mint family (fam. Lamiaceae), is indigenous to Ayurvedic Medicine.
- This species is a perennial herb with fleshy, fibrous roots that grows wild in the warm subtropical temperate areas in India , Burma and Thailand .
- In India , it is cultivated for use as a condiment1.
- In recent years, Coleus Forskohlii has gained recognition As the only known plant source of the diterpene, Forskolin2.
- Forskolin is valued as an adenylate cyclase activator.
- Adenylate cyclase is the enzyme involved in the production of Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP), (a significant biochemical agent involved in metabolic processes), from the high energy molecule, ATP (Adenosine triphosphate).
- Nicknamed in literature as a “second messenger,” cyclic AMP facilitates the action of “primary messengers” or various hormonal and bioactive substances in the body.
- The role of coleus forskohlii is indispensable to many body functions.
- Cyclic AMP induces a chain of biochemical events that trigger metabolic processes and diet induced thermogenesis3, thereby providing the means to maintain a healthy body composition and lean body mass levels.