[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).

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QAAFI Science Seminar

Presented by Prof. Mike Gidley
Director of Centre for Nutrition & Food Sciences at QAAFI

ABSTRACT

Plant cell walls and associated polysaccharides (a.k.a. dietary fibre) play a pivotal role in the digestion of a healthy diet, mostly as the defining structural characteristic of whole grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Credible hypotheses can be constructed to link cell wall properties of these plant-based foods to reduction in risk factors for major non-communicable diseases.

The physical properties of plant cell wall polysaccharide components relevant to digestive tract functionality can be grouped into (i) bulk structuring, (ii) transport barriers, and (iii) molecular binding. Examples of each type of functionality from both in vitro and in vivo studies will be presented.

The conventional sub-division of dietary fibre into soluble and insoluble types disguises the reality that the physical form of plant cell walls in digesta is typically intermediate between the extremes of dissolved polymers and non-swollen solid particles which are often used to exemplify soluble and insoluble fibre fractions. An alternative method of categorising dietary fibres is proposed based on a combination of particle/molecule size and effective density.

About Prof. Mike Gidley

Prof. Gidley obtained a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Chemistry, at the University of London in 1977 and went on to complete his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1982.

Before establishing CNAFS in 2003 (a joint initiative between UQ and the Queensland Government), Prof. Gidley worked for Unilever Research in the United Kingdom for more than 20 years, beginning as a research scientist and culminating as the Group Leader for Plant-based Foods and Ingredients.

Prof. Gidley’s major research interest is the linking of plant molecular structures to macroscopic properties with relevance to plant-based food properties. In particular, Prof. Gidley is interested in investigating polysaccharide assemblies such as plant cell walls (as part of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls and starch granules, particularly the way these structures are assembled in nature and then disassembled during manufacturing and later during digestion.

Prof. Gidley’s field of research involves the use of spectroscopic, microscopic and materials analyses of natural materials and model systems. Insights into structure-property relationships are obtained and can then be used to provide targets for raw materials and processes with enhanced food and nutritional properties.