Abstract: Huperzia serrata is a perennial herb of Huperziaceae family, Lycopodiaceae, Pteridophyta. It is widely distributed and chiefly grows in rock crevice or somewhere dank in the forest.The whole plant can be used as medicine to treat fractures,gall,entorrhagia,carbuncle,poisonous insect bites,burns and scalds, etc. Alkaloid,triterpenes and flavone are the main components in H.serrata. Among its effective components,huperzine A is the most representative one,which is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor with high selectivity.Huperzine A was used to treat Alzheimer's disease and Myasthenia gravis.Meanwhile it had significant memory improvement and consciousness recovery effects.For further exploitation of H.serrata, the research progresses of this plant in medicinal chemistry,pharmacology,pharmaceutical analysis,medicament and tissue culture at home and abroad were summarized in this study.

Key words: Huperzia serrata, lycopodium alkaloid, analysis approaches, separation methods, tissue culture