BOTANICAL NAME: Huperzia serratum Thunb.
PARTS USED AND HABITAT: Huperzia is a type of moss that grows in China. It is related to club mosses (the Lycopodiaceae family) and is known to some botanists as Lycopodium serratum. The whole prepared moss was used traditionally. Modern herbal preparations use only the isolated alkaloid known as huperzine A.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE:
Primary uses: Age-related cognitive decline; Alzheimer disease.
CTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY: Huperzine A is an alkaloid found in huperzia that has been reported to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, an important substance needed by the nervous system to transmit information from cell to cell. Animal research has suggested that huperzine A ability to preserve acetylcholine may be greater than that of some prescription drugs. Loss of acetylcholine function is a primary feature of several disorders of brain function, including Alzheimer disease. Huperzine A may also have a protective effect on brain tissue, further increasing its theoretical potential for helping reduce symptoms of some brain disorders.