Huperzine A

Scientific names: Isolated from Huperzia serrata

Common names: Huperzine A is isolated from the club moss Huperzia serrata , also known as Lycopodium serratum.

Efficacy-safety rating:

●●...Ethno or other evidence of efficacy.

Safety rating:

●...Little exposure or very minor concerns.

What is Huperzine A?

Club mosses are primitive, vascular plants that were dominant in the Carboniferous period when they grew to the size of trees and contributed to the coal deposits then being formed. They differ from true mosses by having specialized fluid-conducting tissues, but like mosses, they reproduce by means of spores. Some species of Lycopodium are called ground pine or creeping cedar, especially those that resemble miniature hemlocks with flattened fan-shaped branches often used for Christmas decorations.

What is Huperzine A used for?

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

The club moss H. serrata has been used in Chinese folk medicine under the name Qian Ceng Ta (Chien Tseng Ta), for the treatment of bruises, strains, swelling, and fevers. It also has been used for schizophrenia.

Alzheimer disease

Huperzine A is being studied for potential use in treating Alzheimer disease. Human clinical studies of huperzine A for Alzheimer disease have been conducted only in China. Clinical studies of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease found that huperzine A improved cognitive function, activity of daily life, and noncognitive disorders. In one study of mild to moderate Alzheimer disease patients, huperzine A was found to improve cognitive function, activity of daily life, and noncognitive disorders in a 12-week period compared with placebo. Because of possible activities in the brain, huperzine A also is being considered for potential use in preventing nerve gas poisoning. There are no clinical studies to date to verify its effectiveness in nerve gas poisoning. More clinical studies are needed to document the health benefits of huperzine A.

What is the dosage of Huperzine A?

Huperzine A in pure form has been studied at oral doses of 0.2 to 0.4 mg/day for Alzheimer disease. It also has been administered IM at 0.06 to 0.1 mg/day for the same indication.