Huperzia Serrata Pure Plant Extract CAS 102518-79-6 Huperzine A Powder

Product Description

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Overview:

Huperzia serrata, a type of fir moss, is also known as Chinese club moss. It is used as a component in traditional Chinese herbal formulas for blood circulation and to relieve pain. A purified alkaloid extract from this plant known as huperzine A has neuroprotective effects and has been developed as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in Asia. In the US, it is available as a dietary supplement to promote cognitive function. It is also used by some cancer patients to relieve pain and neurological dysfunction due to chemotherapy.

Most studies on H. serrata are based on the extract huperzine A, which selectively inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Animal studies show it has antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties which contribute to its protective effects in nerve agent poisoning, myasthenia gravis, hepatic reperfusion injury, and diabetes-associated cognitive decline. Clinical studies on huperzine A as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease have yielded mixed results, but a meta-analysis suggests that it may be helpful for patients with mild to moderate cognitive dysfunction. One study found it improved cognitive function in vascular dementia patients. More well-designed studies are needed to determine safety and effectiveness.

Huperzine A is a chemical that comes from Chinese club moss (Huperzia serrata) or fir club moss (Huperzia selago) plants. It can also be made in a lab.

Huperzine A was identified for medicinal use by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 1980s. It increases levels of a chemical called acetylcholine. This seems to help treat diseases that interfere with memory and thinking.

People use huperzine A to improve memory and mental function in people with Alzheimer disease or other types of dementia. It is also used for depression, schizophrenia, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Don't confuse huperzine A, which is also called selagine, with similar sounding medications such as selegiline (Eldepryl). Also don't confuse one of the brand names for huperzine A (Cerebra) with brand names for unrelated prescription drugs such as celecoxib (Celebrex) and citalopram (Celexa).

While research on the health effects of huperzine A is limited, there's some evidence that huperzine A may offer certain benefits. Here's a look at some key findings from the available research:

Alzheimer's Disease

Huperzine A appears to be of some benefit to people with Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2013 research review published in PLoS One. Researchers searched for all randomized controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of huperzine A for Alzheimer's disease and concluded that huperzine A was more effective than a placebo in terms of its effects on cognitive function, behavioral disturbance, and functional performance. This was also found in a 2008 review published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

However, a 2011 study published in Neurology showed huperzine A failed to improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients. The study involved 210 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, each of whom received either huperzine A or a placebo for at least 16 weeks. In their analysis of the 177 participants who completed the study, researchers found that huperzine A did not have a significant effect on cognitive function.

Memory Enhancement

Very few studies have tested the use of huperzine A for memory enhancement. However, an older, small study published in the Chinese journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica in 1999 found that huperzine A helped improve memory and learning in a group of adolescent students. For the study, 68 junior high students (all of whom complained of memory inadequacy) were given either huperzine A or a placebo every day for four weeks. By the study's end, members of the huperzine A group showed greater improvements in learning and memory (compared to members of the placebo group).

More research is needed before huperzine A can be recommended for memory enhancement.

Applications:

Huperzine A can be used for the treatment of the following symptoms:

• It is used to treat and improve memory loss in middle-aged and elderly people, improve associative recall function; for memory decline caused by excessive brain use, and improve learning and work efficiency;
• Used for memory loss associated with neurasthenia;
• Huperzine A is used for memory loss caused by cerebrovascular disorders;
• It is used for memory improvement in Alzheimer's disease, and has obvious effects on improving and restoring patients' cognitive and memory functions and improving abnormal emotional behavior;
• Used to treat myasthenia gravis;
• Huperzine A can improve association disorders, cognitive decline, and memory loss associated with schizophrenia;
• It can improve the memory function associated with various brain diseases and physical diseases.