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Scientists at Yale University have developed the first practical method to create a compound called huperzine A in the laboratory. The compound, which occurs naturally in a species of moss found in China, is an enzyme inhibitor that has been used to treat Alzheimer's disease in China since the late 1990s and is sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement to help maintain memory. Scientists believe it could also potentially combat the effects of chemical warfare agents.
Until now, researchers have only been able to derive small amounts of the compound directly from the Huperzia serrata plant, or had to resort to lengthy and cumbersome methods to synthesize it in the laboratory.
Now researchers at Yale have developed a practical and cost-effective method to synthesize huperzine A in the laboratory. The process requires just eight steps and produces a yield of 40%. Previously, the best synthetic techniques had required twice as many steps and achieved yields of only 2%.
"Being able to synthesize large amounts of huperzine A in the laboratory is crucial because the plant itself, which has been used in Chinese folk medicine for centuries, takes decades to grow and is nearing extinction due to overharvesting," says Seth Herzon, the Yale chemist who led the research, which is described in Chemical Science.
In some places, huperzine A can cost up to $1,000 per milligram. Herzon and his team produced several grams of the compound in their laboratory and are capable of creating much more. They believe they will be able to drive the cost down to just 50 cents per milligram, and have partnered with an industrial firm to help produce it on larger scales. Continue to read: rdmag.com
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