Huperzine.A: OTC nerve agent?

[Nihilist]

In my readings about nootropic drugs, i've come across an extremely interesting substance called Huperzine.A. It shows extreme promise in the realm of cognitive enhancement. But it works by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

'http://pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/hup_0141.shtml'

Its active dose is 50mcg. If you were to administer a milligram or so of it, I don't see why it wouldn't kill just as effectively as any of the nerve agents out there. And it's completely over-the-counter, it's even sold for human consumption :).

Dosing some lab rats with a couple mg of this stuff might prove an interesting experiment.

[nbk2000]

Acute tests showed that Hup A will cause ChE inhibition poisoning if it is taken a at
very high dosage by mouse, rat, rabbit and dog. In mice, the LD50 (ig) = 5.2 mg/kg ,
LD50
(iv) 1 =
O-63
w/kg, and
LD50 tip)
= 1. 8 mgkg whije in rats the LD50 (ig)
=25.9 mg/kg, LD50 (iv) = 2.55 mg/kg, and LD50 (ip) = 5 mg/kg. The toxicity of
HupA, however, is much lower than Physostigmine. In mice via IP testing, the
treatment index (LD50/EDso) is 23.1 for Hup A , 8.6 for Neostigmine, and 3.8 fop
Physostigmine. In rats via IV testing, the treatment index is 72.9 for HupA, 34.0 for
Neostigmine, and 7.2 for Physostigmine.


'http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/dockets/95s0316/rpt0055_01.pdf'