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Ulloa del Carpio N, Alvarado-Corella D, Quiñones-Laveriano DM, Araya-Sibaja A, Vega-Baudrit J, Monagas-Juan M, Navarro-Hoyos M, Villar-López M. Exploring the chemical and pharmacological variability of Lepidium meyenii: a comprehensive review of the effects of maca. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1360422. [PMID: 38440178 PMCID: PMC10910417 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1360422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Maca (Lepidium meyenii), a biennial herbaceous plant indigenous to the Andes Mountains, has a rich history of traditional use for its purported health benefits. Maca's chemical composition varies due to ecotypes, growth conditions, and post-harvest processing, contributing to its intricate phytochemical profile, including, macamides, macaenes, and glucosinolates, among other components. This review provides an in-depth revision and analysis of Maca's diverse bioactive metabolites, focusing on the pharmacological properties registered in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Maca is generally safe, with rare adverse effects, supported by preclinical studies revealing low toxicity and good human tolerance. Preclinical investigations highlight the benefits attributed to Maca compounds, including neuroprotection, anti-inflammatory properties, immunoregulation, and antioxidant effects. Maca has also shown potential for enhancing fertility, combating fatigue, and exhibiting potential antitumor properties. Maca's versatility extends to metabolic regulation, gastrointestinal health, cardio protection, antihypertensive activity, photoprotection, muscle growth, hepatoprotection, proangiogenic effects, antithrombotic properties, and antiallergic activity. Clinical studies, primarily focused on sexual health, indicate improved sexual desire, erectile function, and subjective wellbeing in men. Maca also shows promise in alleviating menopausal symptoms in women and enhancing physical performance. Further research is essential to uncover the mechanisms and clinical applications of Maca's unique bioactive metabolites, solidifying its place as a subject of growing scientific interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norka Ulloa del Carpio
- Centro de Investigación Clínica de Medicina Complementaria—CICMEC, Gerencia de Medicina Complementaria, Seguro Social de Salud-EsSalud, Lima, Peru
| | - Diego Alvarado-Corella
- Bioactivity and Sustainable Development (BIODESS) Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Costa Rica (UCR), San Jose, Costa Rica
| | | | - Andrea Araya-Sibaja
- Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología, LANOTEC-CeNAT-CONARE, San José, Costa Rica
| | - José Vega-Baudrit
- Laboratorio Nacional de Nanotecnología, LANOTEC-CeNAT-CONARE, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Maria Monagas-Juan
- United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos
- Bioactivity and Sustainable Development (BIODESS) Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Costa Rica (UCR), San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Martha Villar-López
- Centro de Investigación Clínica de Medicina Complementaria—CICMEC, Gerencia de Medicina Complementaria, Seguro Social de Salud-EsSalud, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
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Ragab MA, Hassan MAE, Shazly SA, El-Kholany ME, Ahmed ME, El-Raghi AA. The benefits of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) extract administration for male rabbits affected by environmental heat stress. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2023; 107:286-297. [PMID: 36102208 DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Heat stress (HS) is the most substantial environmental issue in rabbit health status impairment, which can lower productivity. Maca is a common medicinal plant with important biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, and neuroprotective effects. The present research explored the alleged protective role of Maca extract in alleviating the adverse impact of HS on rabbits. Growing V-line 6-week-old buck rabbits (N = 48) were orally administered Maca extract at levels of 0 (MAC0), 200 (MAC2), 400 (MAC4), or 600 (MAC6) mg/head twice per week. Compared to the control groups, rabbits provided Maca had better growth performance, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Liver and tests weights were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Maca treated groups compared to the control. hemoglobin, white blood cell, red blood corpuscles, platelet count, hematocrit, and lymphocytes were significantly increased in the MAC4 group compared with the control group. MAC4 treatment significantly reduced aspartate aminotransferase and malondialdehyde levels compared with other groups. Moreover, the concentrations of total bilirubin, creatinine, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were lower (p < 0.05) in the MAC4 group than in the controls. Oral administration of Maca improved cortisol and testosterone values, total antioxidant capacity, and superoxide dismutase. The MAC4 group exhibited significant improvement (p < 0.05) in sperm motility, survival, membrane functionality, concentration, and libido, with a significant decrease in abnormal sperm compared with the control group. Also, aforementioned group showed sperm cells with a normal structure and intact plasma membranes, acrosomes, and well-organised axonemal components. Histopathological screening of liver sections showed moderate to severe degenerative and necrotic changes in rabbits exposed to HS, which were alleviated with Maca oral administration. In conclusion, oral administration of Maca extract at 400 or 600 mg/head-weekly enhanced growth performance, hemato-biochemical attributes, antioxidant status, and semen quality in rabbits during the hot season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona A Ragab
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A E Hassan
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Soheir A Shazly
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mohamed E El-Kholany
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mohamed E Ahmed
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ali Ali El-Raghi
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
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Gül ET, Olgun O, Yıldız A, Tüzün AE, Sarmiento-García A. Use of Maca Powder ( Lepidium meyenii) as Feed Additive in Diets of Laying Quails at Different Ages: Its Effect on Performance, Eggshell Quality, Serum, Ileum, and Bone Properties. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9080418. [PMID: 36006333 PMCID: PMC9415308 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9080418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Using additives can reduce the negative effects of aging on factors affecting profitability, such as the availability of nutrients, production, and egg quality. Maca is an herbaceous plant rich in protein, crude oil, essential acids, and pharmacological compounds. Maca has positive effects on different health parameters. In this study, the effect of adding Maca powder to the diets of young and old laying quails at the end of the 10-week trial was investigated. In total, 150 laying Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (209.1 ± 10.0 g) were randomly distributed to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two ages (10 weeks and 30 weeks) and three Maca powder levels (0, 1, or 2 g/kg), with five subgroups per treatment. According to the study, eggshell quality, total cholesterol, triglyceride, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations of serum were lower in old quail than in young quail, while egg weight, feed intake, and follicle-stimulating hormone increased significantly as quail aged. (p < 0.05). Furthermore, aging negatively affected the histomorphology of the ileum and cortical bone thickness (p < 0.05). Additional findings show that adding 1 g/kg Maca powder to the diet of quail significantly improved eggshell, ileum, and bone traits that deteriorate with age, without affecting performance, and adding 2 g/kg Maca powder to the diet significantly reduced serum total cholesterol levels (p < 0.05). Incorporating Maca powder into the diet of aged birds could reduce the negative effects of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Tuğçe Gül
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Konya 42130, Turkey
| | - Osman Olgun
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Konya 42130, Turkey
| | - Alpönder Yıldız
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Konya 42130, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Engin Tüzün
- Kocarlı Vocational School, University of Aydın Adnan Menderes, Aydın 09970, Turkey
| | - Ainhoa Sarmiento-García
- Área de Producción Animal, Department of Construcción y Agronomía, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Ambientales, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-619-847-558
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Yang S, Sun X, Gao Y, Chen R. Differentiation of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) from Different Origins by Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry with Principal Component Analysis. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:16493-16500. [PMID: 31616827 PMCID: PMC6787903 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we report a high-speed, high-sensitivity, and economic method to authenticate Maca. After being extracted by ethanol, nutritional components of a dozen kinds of Maca were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Combined with principal component analysis (PCA), these samples can be rapidly differentiated after selecting the origins and principal components in the projection of components 1 and 2. The result suggests that sample 2 from Lijiang gets the highest comprehensive score among the samples and sample 1 from Huize gets the lowest comprehensive score among the samples in positive-ion mass spectra. However, sample 2 from Peru gets the highest comprehensive score among the samples and sample 3 from Lijiang gets the lowest comprehensive score among the samples in negative-ion mass spectra. Compared with the PCA results, the data of negative-ion mass spectra can better differentiate these samples than those of positive-ion mass spectra. This method has the advantages of easy operation and high efficiency, which make it a differential tool in the fields of food safety, medicinal chemistry, and materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rui Chen
- E-mail: . Tel: +86-871-65941087. Fax: +86-871-65941088
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Kasprzak D, Jodlowska-Jedrych B, Borowska K, Wojtowicz A. Lepidium meyenii (Maca) – multidirectional health effects – review. CURRENT ISSUES IN PHARMACY AND MEDICAL SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/cipms-2018-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Lepidium meyenii, commonly known as Maca, is a Peruvian plant that grows high in the Andes, in areas over 4,000 meters above sea level. Its composition contains almost all of the essential amino acids and twenty of the essential fatty acids needed by man, as well as many vitamins, minerals and several sterols and glucosinolates. The specific and unique unsaturated acids and amides found only in this plant are the macaenes and macamides. Most valuable ingredients are contained within the hypocotyls. Maca comes in three forms, based on its root colour, yellow, red and black. Although used individually, consumption recommendations are usually for a mix of all three. Since Inca times, it has been considered as super food.
Although now mostly used in the form of a supplement, ongoing research does not exclude future applications of Maca as medicine. It is attributed to have an effect on male fertility (adding energy and vitality), and in regulating hormone secretion. In animal studies, Maca has been shown to have antioxidant, neuroprotective effects and antiviral activity. Moreover, it has been demonstrated to alleviate the effects of depression. In addition, there are reports that Maca reduces the development of cancer and osteoporosis, improves memory, facilitates concentration and alleviates the symptoms of menopause. The obtained results, however, require further analysis to confirm its effect. Currently, there is little information on toxicity, so there is a need for specialized research in this area, and on-going research concerns the most effective variety and form of preparation of Maca for administration to achieve best effects. The potential of Maca as medicine exists. The increasing pan-continental popularity of Maca has created the need for a better understanding of its action mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Kasprzak
- Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit , Medical University of Lublin , Radziwillowska 11, 20-080 Lublin , Poland
| | - Barbara Jodlowska-Jedrych
- Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit , Medical University of Lublin , Radziwillowska 11, 20-080 Lublin , Poland
| | - Katarzyna Borowska
- Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit , Medical University of Lublin , Radziwillowska 11, 20-080 Lublin , Poland
| | - Agnieszka Wojtowicz
- Chair and Department of Histology and Embryology with Experimental Cytology Unit , Medical University of Lublin , Radziwillowska 11, 20-080 Lublin , Poland
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