Oral Supplementation with Maca Improves Social Recognition Deficits in the Valproic Acid Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder

The role of isothiocyanate-rich plants and supplements in neuropsychiatric disorders: a review and update

Neuroinflammation in response to environmental stressors is an important common pathway in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Responses to immune-mediated stress can lead to epigenetic changes and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Isothiocyanates (ITC) have shown promise in combating oxidative stress and inflammation in the nervous system as well as organ systems. While sulforaphane from broccoli is the most widely studied ITC for biomedical applications, ITC and their precursor glucosinolates are found in many species of cruciferous and other vegetables including moringa. In this review, we examine both clinical and pre-clinical studies of ITC on the amelioration of neuropsychiatric disorders (neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and other) from 2018 to the present, including documentation of protocols for several ongoing clinical studies. During this time, there have been 16 clinical studies (9 randomized controlled trials), most of which reported on the effect of sulforaphane on autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. We also review over 80 preclinical studies examining ITC treatment of brain-related dysfunctions and disorders. The evidence to date reveals ITC have great potential for treating these conditions with minimal toxicity. The authors call for well-designed clinical trials to further the translation of these potent phytochemicals into therapeutic practice.

Not All Maca Is Created Equal: A Review of Colors, Nutrition, Phytochemicals, and Clinical Uses

Maca (Lepidium meyenii, Lepidium peruvianum) is part of the Brassicaceae family and grows at high altitudes in the Peruvian Andes mountain range (3500-5000 m). Historically, it has been used as a nutrient-dense food and for its medicinal properties, primarily in enhancing energy and fertility. Scientific research has validated these traditional uses and other clinical applications by elucidating maca's mechanisms of action, nutrition, and phytochemical content. However, research over the last twenty years has identified up to seventeen different colors (phenotypes) of maca. The color, hypocotyl size, growing location, cultivation, and post-harvest processing methods can have a significant effect on the nutrition content, phytochemical profile, and clinical application. Yet, research differentiating the colors of maca and clinical applications remains limited. In this review, research on the nutrition, phytochemicals, and various colors of maca, including black, red, yellow (predominant colors), purple, gray (lesser-known colors), and any combination of colors, including proprietary formulations, will be discussed based on available preclinical and clinical trials. The gaps, deficiencies, and conflicts in the studies will be detailed, along with quality, safety, and efficacy criteria, highlighting the need for future research to specify all these factors of the maca used in publications.

Investigating the Combined Effects of Mechanical Stress and Nutrition on Muscle Hypertrophic Signals Using Contractile 3D-Engineered Muscle (3D-EM)

Since 3D-EM closely resembles in vivo muscles, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise (electrical pulse stimulation (EPS)) and nutrition (maca), which contains triterpenes, on muscle hypertrophy by using 3D-EM for the first time. The 3D-EM was composed of C2C12 cells and type 1 collagen gel, was differentiated for 14 days, and was divided into four groups: control, maca, EPS, and maca + EPS. The medium was replaced every two days before each EPS intervention, and the concentration of maca in the culture solution was 1 mg/mL. The intervention conditions of the EPS were 30 V, 1 Hz, and 2 ms (24 h on, 24 h off, for one week). The expression levels of proteins were examined by Western blotting. The intervention of maca and EPS upregulated the expression of MHC-fast/slow (both p < 0.05) compared with the control group, and the addition of maca had no effect on the phosphorylation of mTOR (p = 0.287) but increased the AMPK phosphorylation (p = 0.001). These findings suggest that intervention with maca and EPS has a positive effect on muscle hypertrophy, which has a positive impact on sarcopenia. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be further explored.