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Details

Stereochemistry ABSOLUTE
Molecular Formula C15H18N2O
Molecular Weight 242.3162
Optical Activity UNSPECIFIED
Defined Stereocenters 2 / 2
E/Z Centers 1
Charge 0

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of HUPERZINE A

SMILES

C\C=C1/[C@@H]2CC3=C(C=CC(=O)N3)[C@@]1(N)CC(C)=C2

InChI

InChIKey=ZRJBHWIHUMBLCN-YQEJDHNASA-N
InChI=1S/C15H18N2O/c1-3-11-10-6-9(2)8-15(11,16)12-4-5-14(18)17-13(12)7-10/h3-6,10H,7-8,16H2,1-2H3,(H,17,18)/b11-3+/t10-,15+/m0/s1

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Description

Huperzine A is a plant alkaloid derived from Club moss plant, Huperzine serrata, which is a member or the Lycopodium species. Huperzine-A is in phase III clinical trial in the USA (Alzheimer disease) and is available as a dietary supplement. It selectively and reversibly inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Huperzine A is also a NMDA receptor antagonist, which protects the brain against glutamate induced damage, and it increases nerve growth factor levels. Huperzine A is used for Alzheimer's disease, memory and learning enhancement, and age-related memory impairment. It is also used for treating a muscle disease called myasthenia gravis, for increasing alertness and energy, and for protecting against agents that damage the nerves such as nerve gases. It can cause some side effects including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, blurred vision, slurred speech, restlessness, loss of appetite, contraction and twitching of muscle fibers, cramping, increased saliva and urine, inability to control urination, high blood pressure, and slowed heart rate. Various medications used for glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions (Cholinergic drugs) interacts with Huperzine A.

CNS Activity

Originator

Approval Year

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency
64.7 nM [IC50]
0.5 µM [IC50]

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Primary
Unknown
Palliative
Unknown

PubMed

Patents

Sample Use Guides

In Vivo Use Guide
Patients in the mimopezil arm received 1 mg mimopezil daily orally during the 1-month titration period, 9 mg mimopezil as s.c. implants in the 1-month maintenance I period, and 12 mg mimopezil as s.c. implants in the 4-month maintenance II period.
Route of Administration: Other
In Vitro Use Guide
The synthetic racemic mixture (+/-)-huperzine-A was 3 times less potent than (-)-huperzine-A in vitro (IC50s of 3 x 10(-7) M and 10(-7) M, respectively) because the former consisted of a racemic mixture of the compound in which the (+)-huperzine component was considerably less potent (IC50 = 7 x 10(-6) M).