The researchers performed three types of studies post-oral ingestion in Wistar rats: acute, sub-acute, and chronic toxicity.
Photo © iStockphoto.com/shirhan
A study on the safety of ForsLean, a patented Coleus forskohlii weight-management ingredient from Sabinsa Corp. (East Windsor, NJ), is now published in the International Journal Of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Research. The article’s lead author is Sabinsa founder Muhammed Majeed, PhD. ForsLean is standardized to 10% forskolin content.
The researchers performed three types of studies post-oral ingestion in Wistar rats: acute, sub-acute, and chronic toxicity. During the two-week single-dose test, rats were given a single 2000 mg/kg body weight dose of ForsLean and then examined once daily for toxicity, behavior, and pharmacological effects thereafter. The researchers also performed a four-week sub-acute oral toxicity test in which the rats were given daily doses of either 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg body weight. Finally, in a 180-day chronic oral toxicity test, the rats were given a daily dose of 500 mg/kg body weight or 1000 mg/kg body weight.
The researchers reported no deaths, no organ damage, and no significant changes in hematology or serum biochemistry. Body weight changes were said to be normal. Even the high dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight did not lead to any significant toxic effects in the rats, they said, leading them to conclude that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for ForsLean is 1000 mg/kg body weight daily.
“Coleus forskohlii root is a well-established ingredient with a long history of safety. Even for such well known herbs though, additions to the scientific literature are always welcome and this article serves to increase our understanding of the appropriate use of this important herb and its extracts,” said American Herbal Products Association (Silver Spring, MD) president Michael McGuffin in a Sabinsa press release announcing the test results.
“Our award-winning ForsLean brand is set apart from other suppliers of Coleus forskohlii with our safety publications, patents, and human clinical studies,” said Sabinsa marketing director Shaheen Majeed in the press release. “Substitutions just don’t have those advantages.”
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Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine
jennifer.grebow@ubm.com
Majeed M et al., “Investigation of Acute, Sub-Acute, Chronic Oral Toxicity and Mutagenicity of Coleus forskohlii Briq. Hydroethanolic Extract,” International Journal Of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Research, vol. 5, no. 1 (December 2015).