[Latin Name]Huperzia serratum

[Source] Huperziceae whole herb from China

[Appearance]Brown to white

[Ingredient]Huperzine A

[Specification]Huperzine A 1% – 5%, HPLC

[Solubility] Soluble in chloroform, methanol, ethanol, slightly soluble in water

[Particle size] 80 Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Pesticide residue] EC396-2005, USP 34, EP 8.0, FDA

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[What is Huperzine A]

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. 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’s 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’s 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.

[Function] Used in alternative medicine, huperzine A has been found to act as a cholinesterase inhibitor, a type of medicine used to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a chemical essential to learning and memory).

Not only used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, huperzine A is also said to enhance learning and memory and to protect against age-related cognitive decline.

In addition, huperzine A is sometimes used to boost energy, increase alertness, and aid in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (an autoimmune disorder that affects the muscles).

Jax was diagnosed as n/P1 for PSSM, meaning he is heterozygous positive (has one copy of the gene). He went symptomatic around July of 2015, and just kept getting worse until he tied up and colicked in January of 2016 (at this point the vets didn’t believe he had tied up and treated it as a colic). I switched his feed and started handwalking him after the colic, but he wasn’t getting better. Finally in May of 2016 I switched his feed again and started trimming his feet myself. He kept getting better, was able to trot and canter on the lunge without his stifles sticking by July of 2016, but kept having back pain and tightness (you can see his sore back muscles in another video on my channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lGDqCzLCp0 ). Finally in August of 2016 he had a mild muscle spasm in his shoulder, and I knew he was having muscle issues. By early September of 2016 we had an official diagnosis of n/P1. I’ve spent this last year trying to find a diet and exercise program that works for him, and I think we are finally getting there…

I’m putting together some PSSM posts on my Horses & Art blog. If you’d like to see the feed program that’s getting his muscles loosened up, it’s here:

https://jenpratt.blogspot.com/2017/07/glycemic-index-and-pssm-horse-rice-bran.html

I have a few more posts about PSSM, such as the full story of lameness issues and heartache on dealing with a symptomatic horse. I hope to have more posts about exercise, feeds, hoof care, and other extremely important aspects of maintaining a symptomatic horse in soon.

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