Pharmacological Effects
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- Research carried out over the last few decades has revealed the multifaceted pharmacological effects of forskolin.
- Most of these effects have been linked to the role of forskolin as an activator of adenylate cyclase1.
- Normally, cAMP is formed when a stimulatory hormone (e.g., epinephrine) binds to a receptor site on the cell membrane and triggers the activation of adenylate cyclase.
- The receptors in each cell are specific to the activating hormone.
- Forskolin appears to bypass the hormone-receptor interactions and activates adenylate cyclase. Adenylate cyclase activation induces a rise in intracellular cAMP levels2.
References
- Ammon, H.P.T. and Muller (1989) Forskolin: from an Ayurvedic Remedy to a Modern Agent Planta Medica. Vol 51, 475-476.
- Murray, M.T. (1995) The unique pharmacology of Coleus forskohlii. Health Counselor 7(2): 33-35.