A randomized placebo controlled study performed at the C. B. Patel Research Center for Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Mumbai , India , revealed that forskohlin treatment reduces food intake in obese mice by about 50 percent.

Obese mice treated with a daily dose of 2 mg of forskohlin (in two divided doses) reduced their food intake by almost 50 % by the end of the three-week treatment. The researchers concluded that reduction in food intake is likely to be a significant factor contributing to the weight management and lean body mass enhancing effects of forskohlin.

In this study, 48 female Swiss Albino mice, weighing 20 - 25 g on an average, were randomly allocated into two groups (study group and control) and housed in groups of four in polypropylene cages in a room maintained at 22 ° C. The animals were exposed to natural day- night cycles. Mice in both groups were fed a highly palatable diet for 12 weeks consisting of 33 % pelleted mice diet, (Lipton India ). The study group additionally received 33 % powdered milk (Nestle), 7 % sucrose, 5 % clarified butter (ghee) and 22 % tap water by weight. This diet produced reliable weight gain over controls.

Both the groups were provided food at the rate of 30 g / day / cage divided into two meals. Food intake was measured daily during the treatment period, while body weight and abdominal flab were recorded every seven days. Animals from both groups were randomly selected to receive forskohlin or placebo treatment. Treatment was initiated only after the difference in body weight between special obesity-inducing diet fed and control mice was 10g

Administration of forskolin did not produce any untoward hyperactivity or lethargy in mice, although there was significant decrease in food intake in the obese mice.

During the first two weeks of treatment all the mice were consuming on an average 30 g of food per 24 h (normal or obesity inducing) per group of four animals in a given cage. From the third week of treatment, there was a reduction in the quantity of food consumed by the obese group treated with forskohlin. After the third week, the forskohlin treated obese animals were consuming about 15 g of the special obesity inducing food per 24 h.

The intake of water remained unaltered. The mice in all the treatment groups as well as controls were active and performed normally in daily activities throughout the study period.