Lepidium meyenii, Maca

Peruvian Ginseng
Picture Lepidium meyenii
(Photo by Vahe Martirosyan) (Wikimedia)

Picture Maca root at the Chengdu Medicine Market (Adam, 2018)

Botanical name:


Lepidium meyenii (syn. L. peruvianum)

Parts used:


Root

Temperature & Taste:


Warm, moist. Sweet

Uses:


1. Warms and Strengthens the Kidneys:
-Aphrodisiac; increases Sperm
-Impotence
-Infertility (in men and women)
-useful for Menopause (loss of libido, flushing, low energy etc.)

2. Strengthens Spleen, Increases Qi:
-fatigue, Anemia
-Stress, Depression associated with deficiency


Dose:


Maca is eaten as a food in South America.
Powder: 1–3 grams (up to 5 grams), twice daily
Decoction: 4–12 grams

Substitute:


Maca is regarded as having similar effects (though weaker) to Ginseng; Ginseng or Codonopsis may be a suitable substitutes for Maca.
Picture

Main Combinations:


1. As an Aphrodisiac, Impotence:
i. Maca, Chinese Chive seed (or Leek seed)
ii. Maca, Epimedium Yin Yang Huo, Mucuna
iii. Maca, Withania, Tribulus,
iv. Maca, Yohimbine, Ginseng
v. Maca, Damiana, Saw Palmetto
2. Female Infertility:
i. Maca, Dang Gui, Asparagus Shatavari
3. Fatigue, Debility:
i. Maca, Withania, Licorice
ii. Maca, Ginseng, Atractylodes Bai Zhu, Citrus Chen Pi

Major Formulas:



Cautions:


None noted

Main Preparations used:



  • Extra Info
  • Research
1. GENERAL:
–[Chemical constituents of Lepidium meyenii].
–Chemical composition and health effects of maca (Lepidium meyenii).
–[Study on Chemical Constituents of Fat-soluble Extraction from Lepidium meyenii].
–[Research and application progress of Lepidium meyenii（maca）
–Composition analysis and antioxidant activity of essential oils, lipids and polysaccharides in different phenotypes of Lepidium meyenii.
–Aqueous Extract of Black Maca Prevents Metabolism Disorder via Regulating the Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis-TCA Cycle and PPARα Signaling Activation in Golden Hamsters Fed a High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet.
–Maca polysaccharides: A review of compositions, isolation, therapeutics and prospects.
–[Recent researching progress of Lepidium meyenii (Maca)].

2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Lepidium meyenii Walp Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Activity against ConA-Induced Acute Hepatitis

3. ANTI-OXIDANT:
–Structure characterization of one polysaccharide from Lepidium meyenii Walp., and its antioxidant activity and protective effect against H2O2-induced injury RAW264.7 cells.
–Composition analysis and antioxidant activity of essential oils, lipids and polysaccharides in different phenotypes of Lepidium meyenii.
–Antioxidant and neuroprotector effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) methanol leaf extract against 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA)-induced toxicity in PC12 cells.

4. ANALGESIC:
–Effects of a water extract of Lepidium meyenii root in different models of persistent pain in rats.

5. ANTI-VIRAL:
-(Influenza)-Antiviral activity of maca (Lepidium meyenii) against human influenza virus.

6. ANTI-FATIGUE:
–Structure analysis and anti-fatigue activity of a polysaccharide from Lepidium meyenii Walp.
–Structural Characterization and Antifatigue Effect In Vivo of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp) Polysaccharide.
–Anti-fatigue activity of polysaccharide fractions from Lepidium meyenii Walp. (maca).
–Effects of macamides on endurance capacity and anti-fatigue property in prolonged swimming mice.

7. SEXUAL FUNCTION:
–Effects of combined extracts of Lepidium meyenii and Allium tuberosum Rottl. on erectile dysfunction.
–Beyond tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L.): The effects of phytotherapics on testosterone, sperm and prostate parameters.
–Effect of phytoestrogens on sexual function in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
–Herbal Dietary Supplements for Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
–Effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on testicular function of mice with chemically and physically induced subfertility.

8. REPRODUCTION/SPERMOGENESIS:
–Chemical Analysis of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) and Its Effects on Redox Status and on Reproductive Biology in Stallions
–Effect of Lepidium meyenii on in vitro fertilization via improvement in acrosome reaction and motility of mouse and human sperm.
–Influences of dietary supplementation with Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on stallion sperm production and on preservation of sperm quality during storage at 5 °C.
–Aqueous extract of yellow maca (Lepidium meyenii) improves sperm count in experimental animals but response depends on hypocotyl size, pH and routes of administration.
–Is the hype around the reproductive health claims of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) justified?
–Long-term feeding of hydroalcoholic extract powder of Lepidium meyenii (maca) enhances the steroidogenic ability of Leydig cells to alleviate its decline with ageing in male rats.
 –Feeding hydroalcoholic extract powder of Lepidium meyenii (maca) enhances testicular gene expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in rats.
–Effect of butanolic fraction of yellow and black maca (Lepidium meyenii) on the sperm count of adult mice.
–The use of maca (Lepidium meyenii) to improve semen quality: A systematic review.
–Effect of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on Semen Parameters and Serum Hormone Levels in Healthy Adult Men: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study.
–Feeding hydroalcoholic extract powder of Lepidium meyenii (maca) increases serum testosterone concentration and enhances steroidogenic ability of Leydig cells in male rats.

9. MENOPAUSE:
–Effect of phytoestrogens on sexual function in menopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
–Effect of ethanolic extract of Lepidium meyenii Walp on serum hormone levels in ovariectomized rats.

10. PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA:
–Protective Effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Aqueous Extract and Lycopene on Testosterone Propionate-Induced Prostatic Hyperplasia in Mice.

11. IMMUNOMODULATORY:
–Physicochemical and functional properties of a protein isolate from maca (Lepidium meyenii) and the secondary structure and immunomodulatory activity of its major protein component.
–Isolation, purification, structural characterization and immunostimulatory activity of water-soluble polysaccharides from Lepidium meyenii.
–Structural Characterization and Immunomodulatory Activity of a Novel Polysaccharide from Lepidium meyenii.

12. ANTI-CANCER:
–Flavonolignans and other constituents from Lepidium meyenii with activities in anti-inflammation and human cancer cell lines.

13. HEPATOPROTECTIVE:
–Protective effect of polysaccharide from maca (Lepidium meyenii) on Hep-G2 cells and alcoholic liver oxidative injury in mice.

14. ALTITUDE SICKNESS:
–Identification and characterization of microRNAs and their targets in high-altitude stress-adaptive plant maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp).

15. NEUROPROTECTIVE:
–Neuroprotective activity of macamides on manganese-induced mitochondrial disruption in U-87 MG glioblastoma cells.
–Antioxidant and neuroprotector effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) methanol leaf extract against 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA)-induced toxicity in PC12 cells.

16. DEPRESSION:
–Maca reduces blood pressure and depression, in a pilot study in postmenopausal women.
–Antidepressant-like behavioral, anatomical, and biochemical effects of petroleum ether extract from maca (Lepidium meyenii) in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.

17. COGNITIVE FUNCTION:
–Preservation of Cognitive Function by Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Is Associated with Improvement of Mitochondrial Activity and Upregulation of Autophagy-Related Proteins in Middle-Aged Mouse Cortex.

18. PARKINSON’S DISEASE:
–Forestalling the Epidemics of Parkinson’s Disease Through Plant-Based Remedies.

19. PROMOTES HEALING:
–Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands, Promotes Skin Wound Healing at Sea Level and at High Altitude in Adult Male Mice.