Is the hype around the reproductive health claims of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) justified?

Beharry, Shruti; Heinrich, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.003

Cited by 78 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 107 publications

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“…The 67 compounds identified in the negative mode and the 51 compounds identified in the positive mode are comprised of glucosinolates, amino acids, imidazoles, macamides, fatty acids, flavonoids, lignans, phenolic acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Previous targeted analyses focused on specific families of compounds (glucosinolates, macamides, macaenes, alkaloids, essential oils, sterols, or fatty acids) but were not comprehensive for the metabolome [22,34]. The current study attempted to identify as many compounds as possible extracted by aqueous methanol.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These secondary metabolites are presumed to be responsible for the purported beneficial health effects alone or in combination [5,21]. However, the exact relationship of these compounds to health is unclear [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maca of different color types are similar in gross nutrient composition [25], but appear to systematically vary with respect to their content of secondary metabolites. However, the relationship between color and secondary metabolites of maca is still inconclusive [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Maca (Lepidium meyenii/Lepidium peruvianum) Using a Mass Spectral Fingerprinting, Metabolomic Analysis, and Genetic Sequencing Approach

et al. 2020

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AbstractMaca (Lepidium meyenii, synonym L. peruvianum) was analyzed using a systematic approach employing principal component analysis of flow injection mass spectrometry fingerprints (no chromatographic separation) to guide the selection of samples for metabolite profiling and DNA next generation sequencing. Samples consisted of 39 commercial maca supplements from 11 manufacturers, 31 unprocessed maca tubers grown in Peru and China, and a historic non-tuber maca sample from Peru. Principal component analysis of flow injection mass spectrometry fingerprints initially placed all the maca samples in three classes with similar chemical composition: commercial maca samples, tubers grown in Peru, and tubers grown in China. Metabolite profiling identified 67 compounds in the negative mode and 51 compounds in the positive mode. Compounds identified by metabolite profiling (macamides, glucosinolates, amino acids, fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, saccharides, imidazoles) were then used to identify ions in the flow injection mass spectrometry fingerprints. The tuber fingerprints were analyzed by factorial multivariate analysis of variance revealing that black, red, and yellow maca from Peru and black and yellow maca from China were compositionally different with respect to color and country. Critical ions were identified that allowed for the differentiation of maca between colors from the same country or between two countries with the same color. Genetically, all samples were confirmed to be L. meyenii based on next generation sequencing at three gene regions (ITS2, psbA, and trnL) and comparison to recorded sequences of vouchered standards.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Maca (Lepidium meyenii/Lepidium peruvianum) Using a Mass Spectral Fingerprinting, Metabolomic Analysis, and Genetic Sequencing Approach

et al. 2020

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“…Maca, a natural plant ( Lepidium meyenii ) from South America, is routinely used to treat infertility worldwide [ 12 ] and is found in Peru, where it has been reliably used as a traditional medicine for many years. [ 13 ] Pharmacologic and nutritional ingredients in maca include organic acids, glucosinolates, amide alkaloids, macaridines, imidazole alkaloids, macaenes, and macahydantoin A. [ 14 ] Thus far, four imidazole alkaloids unique to maca have been identified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lepidiline A Improves the Balance of Endogenous Sex Hormones and Increases Fecundity by Targeting HSD17B1

Cheng

Shen

Ding

et al. 2020

Molecular Nutrition Food Res

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Scope: Maca (Lepidium meyenii), a well-known plant from the Andean highlands of Peru, has been used widely as a nutritional supplement to increase sexual function and fecundity. However, the identity of its active ingredients and how they function remain unknown. Methods and results: Chemical substances in maca are identified by UPLC-Q-TOF, and the active ingredients are screened through HotMap coupled with an artificial neural network. Lepidiline A (LA), an imidazole alkaloid, is identified as the key active compound. LA affects the balance of endogenous sex hormones in mice and improves fecundity in Drosophila. Using a molecular LA probe, 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD17B1) is revealed to be the potential target of LA using a fishing-rod strategy. It is demonstrated with experimental data that LA targets HSD17B1 to enhance the enzyme's activity and increases its bioconversion efficiency of actively formed sex hormones including estrogen to 17 -estradiol and 4-androsten-3,7-dione to testosterone, which ultimately improves reproductive activity. Conclusion: LA improves the balance of endogenous sex hormones and increases fecundity by targeting HSD17B1. This underlying mechanism of action provides a useful insight into the application of maca in the regulation of dietary nutrition and healthy fertility.

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“…Other medicinal properties attributed to maca include the ability to reduce depression and anxiety (Gonzales et al., ), improve learning and memory (Rubio et al., ), reduce prostate size (Gonzales et al., ), and balance hormonal secretion (Fumiaki et al., ). However, the reproductive benefits of maca require more research due to a lack of comprehensive scientific studies (Beharry and Heinrich, ). Dini et al.…”

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confidence: 99%

Transcriptome analysis of maca (Lepidium meyenii) root at different developmental stages

et al. 2018

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Premise of the StudyMaca (Lepidium meyenii; Brassicaceae) has been cultivated by Andeans for thousands of years as a food source and has been used for medicinal purposes. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying material accumulation during plant growth.Methods RNA‐Seq technology was used to compare the transcriptome of black maca root at three developmental stages. Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were applied for the identification of pathways in which differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched.ResultsTrinity was used to de novo assemble the reads, and 120,664 unigenes were assembled. Of these, 71.53% of the unigenes were annotated based on BLAST. A total of 18,321 differentially expressed genes were observed. Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis found that the most highly represented pathway among the differentially expressed genes was for genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. We also found that genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis, such as glucosinolate biosynthesis, were significantly enriched.DiscussionThe genes that were differentially expressed between developmental time points likely reflect both developmental pathways and responses to changes in the environment. As such, the transcriptome data in this study serve as a reference for subsequent mining of genes that are involved in the synthesis of important bioactive components in maca.

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Is the hype around the reproductive health claims of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) justified?

Cited by 78 publications

References 107 publications

Characterization of Maca (Lepidium meyenii/Lepidium peruvianum) Using a Mass Spectral Fingerprinting, Metabolomic Analysis, and Genetic Sequencing Approach

Characterization of Maca (Lepidium meyenii/Lepidium peruvianum) Using a Mass Spectral Fingerprinting, Metabolomic Analysis, and Genetic Sequencing Approach

Lepidiline A Improves the Balance of Endogenous Sex Hormones and Increases Fecundity by Targeting HSD17B1

Transcriptome analysis of maca (Lepidium meyenii) root at different developmental stages

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