Coluracetam Powder – 1g

Coluracetam Powder – 1g

What Is Coluracetam?

Coluracetam (MKC-231) is a racetam-class nootropic compound with a mechanistically distinctive profile: it is one of the only known small molecule enhancers of high-affinity choline uptake (HACU) — the rate-limiting step in acetylcholine biosynthesis in neurons. Rather than providing choline substrate (as CDP-Choline does) or blocking acetylcholinesterase (as donepezil-class drugs do), Coluracetam upregulates the capacity of the choline transporter (CHT1) to import choline into nerve terminals, enabling greater ACh synthesis capacity under conditions where neurotransmitter production is limited by uptake speed.

Originally developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and subsequently licensed to Brain Cells Inc. for clinical investigation in major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease, Coluracetam has shown promising results in preclinical studies but clinical development has not advanced to Phase 3.

Mechanism of Action

Coluracetam’s HACU enhancement is particularly pronounced under conditions of high neuronal activity or cholinergic deficit — exactly the conditions studied in Alzheimer’s models and cognitive impairment paradigms. It also appears to interact with AMPA receptors (consistent with racetam class activity) and has been reported to enhance BDNF expression and visual acuity in rodent models through incompletely characterized mechanisms.

Research Applications

• Cholinergic deficit models: Reverses cognitive impairment in AF64A (cholinergic neurotoxin) treated rodents via HACU restoration.
• Depression research: Phase 2a data from Brain Cells Inc. showed improvement in MDD and comorbid anxiety at 240 mg/day.
• Visual processing: Rodent studies suggest enhanced visual acuity and color discrimination — a unique property among nootropics.
• Multi-mechanism cognitive panels: Complements glutamatergic compounds like Noopept and neurogenic agents like NSI-189.

Related Products

Cholinergic pair: CDP Choline Powder (50g). Glutamatergic comparators: Noopept Powder, Sunifiram Powder. Read our guide: Cholinergic Nootropics in Research: CDP-Choline, Coluracetam & Vinpocetine. For laboratory research use only.