5 effects of Huperzine A

What is Huperzine A?

Huperzine A, a naturally occurring alkaloid that can be isolated from the serpentine cedar, a plant in the cedar family, is a potent, highly specific, and reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.

Compared with other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as tacrine, physostigmine, donepezil, rivastigmine, etc., stilbene is more potent in raising cortical acetylcholine levels, has a longer duration of action, penetrates the blood-brain barrier more easily, and has a variety of pharmacological functions. Other potential pharmacological functions include: attenuation of beta-amyloid toxicity, prevention of glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, and anti-free radicals.

Huperzine A, an alkaloid from the Chinese medicinal plant Huperzine, is an approved anti-Alzheimer's disease drug in some regions. There is a long history of using serpentine fir as a medicine in traditional medicine to treat ailments including analgesia, detoxification, decongestion, bruises, tension, swelling, rheumatism, schizophrenia, myasthenia gravis, and fever.

5 effects of Huperzine A

1. Huperzine A Benefits Mild Cognitive Impairment 

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a clinical stage in the continuum of cognitive decline between ‘normal aging’ and dementia.

Studies have shown that patients with mild cognitive impairment progress to Alzheimer's disease at a rate of 10 to 15 per cent per year, with 80 per cent of these patients progressing to Alzheimer's disease after approximately six years of follow-up.

A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of nine randomised controlled trials related to mild cognitive impairment indicated that Huperzine A had the effect of improving Memory Quotient (MQ) and Brief Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores when compared to the placebo group.

Therefore, Huperzine A may have a positive effect on mild cognitive impairment, but more high-quality trials are needed due to the low quality of the available evidence. 

2. Huperzine A is beneficial in depression

A systematic review of the literature (3 randomised controlled trials with 238 patients with depression) showed that the combined use of Huperzine A and an antidepressant had a beneficial effect on the memory quotient (MQ) and MMSE scores. Huperzine A and antidepressants did not result in a more pronounced improvement in depressive symptoms (compared to subjects using antidepressants alone).

However, the Huperzine A group did show greater improvement in cognitive function (as measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Weiss Memory Scale) and quality of life than the antidepressant-alone group.

Combining Huperzine A with antidepressant medication may have a positive effect on cognitive function and quality of life in patients receiving antidepressant medication, but more research is needed due to small sample sizes and low quality of evidence.

3. Huperzine A Benefits Alzheimer's Disease 

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that occurs in the early stages of aging.

A systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of 20 randomised controlled trials with 1,823 patients with Alzheimer's disease showed that Huperzine A was associated with improvements in cognitive function, activities of daily living, and global clinical assessment compared with placebo.

Huperzine A may have a positive impact on Alzheimer's disease improvement, but more rigorous trials are needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety for long-term use, limited by the low quality of the available evidence.

4. Huperzine A is beneficial in psychosis 

A review of the literature and a meta-analysis of 12 randomised controlled trials with 1117 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders suggests that the combination of Huperzine A with antipsychotics improves memory quotient, verbal IQ, operative IQ, global IQ, response management errors, non-response management errors, and non-syndromic errors more than antipsychotics alone. IQ, Response Management Errors, Nonpersistent Errors, and Total Psychopathological Symptom Score metrics.

In schizophrenia spectrum disorders, Huperzine A-assisted treatment has been shown to have positive effects on cognitive functioning and overall psychopathological improvement, but more well-designed and accurate studies are needed due to the heterogeneity of the available evidence, its low quality, and the short duration.

5. Huperzine A Treatment of Cocaine Substance Abuse 

Cocaine, also known as cocaine, is considered one of today's most dangerous drugs, producing a strong physical addiction that has serious negative effects on the health, social relationships, and the economy of those who use it.

Chronic cocaine use causes persistent changes in the vascular system, increasing the likelihood of myocardial infarction, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and stroke.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (10 days in 47 subjects receiving intravenous cocaine) noted that compared to placebo, the use of Huperzine A significantly attenuated any cocaine-induced increase in drug effects, high, hyperarousal, willingness to pay and adverse effects.

Therefore, Huperzine A may have a positive effect on the treatment of cocaine addiction, but is limited by small sample sizes and needs to be further validated in larger trials.

Where can I buy huperzine A?

As a leading manufacturer and supplier of huperzine A 99% compounds in China, we deliver high quality products through optimized production processes.You can contact us at the email below for more details.

Email:ericyang@xasost.com

Reference

1.Efficacy and safety of huperzine A in treating patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

2.Huperzine A for treatment of cognitive impairment in major depressive disorder: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

3.Huperzine A for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials