Production of huperzine A and other Lycopodium alkaloids in Huperzia species grown under controlled conditions and in vitro.

A UPLC-MS method was developed for quantifying huperzine A (HupA), an anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug candidate from the traditional Chinese medicine Qian Ceng Ta (Huperzia serrata), in samples of 11 Huperzia genus plants. The highest content of HupA was found in Huperzia pinifolia. The accumulation of various Lycopodium alkaloids was monitored in these tissues using high resolution Q-IMS-TOFMS analysis. Tissue culture of various Huperzia species has been achieved and production of HupA has been confirmed in the callus of H. pinifolia. Furthermore, it was established that the major alkaloid produced by the naturally grown plant and the callus of H. pinifolia changed dramatically from HupA to nankakurine B.