U-Huperzia, ongowokuzalwa e-China, uhlobene kakhulu ne-baseball club moss futhi ngokwesayensi ubizwa ngokuthi i-Lycopodium serratum. Ngokwesiko, ubulembu be-stallion babusetshenziswa, kodwa ukulungiswa kwetiye lemifino yesimanje manje kugxile ku-alkaloid huperzine A. Le alkaloid, etholakala ku-huperzia, inesithembiso ekuvimbeleni ukuwohloka kwe-acetylcholine, i-neurotransmitter ebalulekile yokuxhumana phakathi kwamangqamuzana ohlelweni lwezinzwa. ucwaningo ngesilwane bespeak ukuthi i-huperzine A ingase yeqe imithi ethile kadokotela ngokuqhubeka neziqu ze-acetylcholine. uma kubhekwa ukuthi ukulahlekelwa umsebenzi we-acetylcholine kuyisici esiyinhloko sokuphazamiseka kwengqondo okuhlukahlukene njengesifo i-Alzheimer's, imiphumela engase ibe khona ye-neuroprotective ye-huperzine A iwubeka njengenketho yokudambisa izimpawu ezihambisana nalezi zimo.

Emuthini ongakhetha kukho, i-huperzine A isebenza njenge-cholinesterase inhibitor, uhlobo lomuthi oluthiya ukugudluzwa kwe-acetylcholine, okubalulekile kunqubo yokuqonda njengokufunda nenkumbulo. Ngalé kokusebenza kwayo ekwelashweni kwe-Alzheimer, i-huperzine A ikholelwa ukuthi ithuthukisa ukusebenza kwengqondo, ukuqapha ngokumelene nokuncipha kwengqondo okuhlobene nobudala, ikhuphula izinga lamandla, ikhuthaze ukuqapha, futhi isekele ukuphathwa kwe-myasthenia gravis gravis, ukuphazamiseka kwe-autoimmune okunomthelela ekusebenzeni kwemisipha. Ububanzi obuhlukahlukene benzuzo engaba khona bubekwe ku-huperzine A igcizelela ukuguquguquka kwayo ekhelini elihlobene nokukhathazeka kwezempilo okuhlotshaniswa nokusebenza kobuchopho namandla okuqonda.

ukuqondaizindaba zobuchwepheshezibandakanya ukuhlala unolwazi mayelana nokukhuthazwa ocwaningweni lwesayensi kanye nokusungulwa kwezokunakekelwa kwezempilo. Kumongo we-huperzine A, inhlolovo eqhubekayo cishe izocwaninga amandla ekhambi layo ngokuqhubekayo, okungase kwembule uhlelo olusha lokusebenza lwale nhlanganisela yemvelo ekukhipheni ukuphazamiseka kwemizwa kanye nokulimala kwengqondo. Njengoba umkhakha wemithi yokuzikhethela uqhubeka nokuvela, i-huperzine A isekelwe njengomkhankasi wesithembiso sokuthuthukisa impilo yengqondo futhi ibhekane nesidingo esiyinkimbinkimbi somuntu onezimo ezifana nesifo i-Alzheimer kanye nokuncipha kwengqondo okuhambisana neminyaka. Kuyisidingo sokwenza intuthuko yesikhathi esizayo ekusetshenzisweni kwe-huperzine A, njengoba ihlanganisa isithembiso esibalulekile embusweni wempilo yobuchopho kanye nenhlalakahle yezinzwa.