Catalpolとは 意味・読み方・使い方

Catalpol is an iridoid glucoside that is found in plants belonging to several families, including, but not limited to, Scrophulariaceae, Lamiaceae, and Bignoniaceae. This natural product falls in the class of iridoid glycosides, which are simply monoterpenes with a glucose molecule attached. First isolated in 1962, catalpol was named for plants in the genus Catalpa in which it was discovered. Later in 1969, catalpol was found to be present in larger quantities in several plants in genus Rehmannia. Although the pharmacological action of catalpol as well as many other iridoids has not been fully established, there is evidence that their primary function is to stimulate the production of adrenal cortical hormones, which increases the production of sex hormones. Catalpol also exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and has shown to increase the production of androgens yielded by the adrenal gland, which can lead to increases in muscle mass.