Lepidium meyenii

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"Maca" redirects here. For other uses, see Maca (disambiguation).
lepidium peruvianum chacón
Lepidium peruvianum root
Lepidium peruvianum root
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Lepidium
Species: L. peruvianum
Binomial name
Lepidium peruvianum
Gloria Chacón

Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacón) is an herbaceous biennial plant or annual plant (some sources say a perennial plant) native to the high Andes of Peru. It is grown for its fleshy hypocotyl (actually a fused hypocotyl and taproot), which is used as a root vegetable and a medicinal herb. Its Spanish and Quechua names include maca-maca, maino, ayak chichira, and ayak willku.

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[edit] Botanical characteristics

The growth habit, size, and proportions of the maca are roughly similar to those of the radish and the turnip, to which it is related. The stem is short and lies along the ground, with only the tips curling up. The frilly leaves are born in a rosette at the soil surface, and are continuously renewed from the center as the outer leaves die. The off-white, self-fertile flowers are born on a central raceme, and are followed by 4-5 mm siliculate fruits, each containing two small (2-2.5 mm) reddish-gray ovoid seeds. The seeds, which are the plant's only means of reproduction, germinate within five days, given good conditions, and have no dormancy.

Maca is the only member of its genus with a fleshy hypocotyl, which is fused with the taproot to form a radish- or inverted-pear-shaped body roughly 10-15 cm long and 3-5 cm wide.

Maca is traditionally grown at altitudes of approximately 4,100 - 4,500 m. It grows well only in very cold climates with relatively poor soil. Although it has been cultivated outside the Andes it is not yet clear that it has the same constituents or potency when this is done. Hypocotyls do not form in greenhouses or in warm climates.

For approximately 2000 years maca has been an important traditional food and medicinal plant in its growing region. It is regarded as a highly nutritious food and as a medicine that enhances strength and endurance and also acts as an aphrodisiac. During Spanish colonization maca was used as currency.[1][2]

[edit] Constituents

In addition to sugars and proteins, maca contains uridine, malic acid and its benzoyl derivative, and the glucosinolates, glucotropaeolin and m-methoxyglucotropaeolin. The methanol extract of maca tuber also contained (1R,3S)-1-methyltetrahydro--carboline-3-carboxylic acid, a molecule which is reported to exert many activities on the central nervous system.[3] The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, similar to cereal grains such as rice and wheat. It contains 60% carbohydrates, 10% protein, 8.5% dietary fiber, and 2.2% fats. Maca is rich in essential minerals, especially selenium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, and includes fatty acids including linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acids, and 19 amino acids, as well as polysaccharides.[4] Maca's reported beneficial effects for sexual function could be due to its high concentration of proteins and vital nutrients,[2] though maca contains a chemical called p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which reputedly has aphrodisiac properties.[5]

[edit] Uses and preparation

Maca has been harvested and used by humans in the Andean Mountains for centuries. It was eaten by Inca warriors before battles, and was used a form of payment of Spanish imperial taxes. [6]

In Peru, maca is prepared and consumed in several ways. The hypocotyl can be roasted in a pit (called matia). The root can also be mashed and boiled to produce a sweet, thick liquid, dried and mixed with milk to form a porridge or with other vegetables or grains to produce a flour that can be used in baking. If fermented, a weak beer called chicha de maca can be produced. The leaves can also be prepared raw in salads or cooked much like Lepidium sativum and Lepidium campestre, to which it is genetically closely related.[7]

[edit] Health effects

Maca is consumed as food for humans and livestock, suggesting any risk from consumption is rather minimal. However, maca does contain glucosinolates, which can cause goitres when high consumption is combined with a diet low in iodine. Though this is common in other foods with high levels of glucosinolate, it is uncertain if maca consumption can cause or worsen a goitre.[8] Maca has also been shown to reduce enlarged prostate glands in rats[9][10] though its effects on humans are unknown.

Small-scale clinical trials performed in men have shown that maca extracts can heighten libido and improve semen quality,[11][12] though no studies have been performed on men with sexual dysfunction or infertility. Maca has not been shown to affect sex hormone levels in humans[13] In addition, maca has been shown to increase mating behavior in male mice and rats.[14]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Valentova, K.; Ulrichova J. (2003). "Smallanthus sonchifolius and Lepidium peruvianum - prospective Andean crops for the prevention of chronic diseases". Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacký, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia 147 (2): 119–30. PMID 15037892. 
  2. ^ a b Chacón de Popovici, G (1997). La importancia de Lepidium peruvianum (“Maca”) en la alimentacion y salud del ser humano y animal 2,000 anos antes y desputes del Cristo y en el siglo XXI.. Lima: Servicios Gráficos "ROMERO". 
  3. ^ Piacente, Sonia; Carbone, V., Plaza, A., Zampelli, A. & Pizza, C. (2002). "Investigation of the Tuber Constituents of Maca (Lepidium peruvianum chacón)". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 50 (20): 5621-5625. doi:10.1021/jf020280x. PMID 12236688. 
  4. ^ Muhammad, I; Zhao J., Dunbar D.C. & Khan I.A. (2002). "Constituents of Lepidium peruvianum 'maca'". Phytochemistry 59 (1): 105-110. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(01)00395-8. PMID 11754952. 
  5. ^ Taylor, Leslie (2005). The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs. Garden City Park, New York: Square One Publishers Inc.. ISBN 0-7570-0144-0. 
  6. ^ Downie, Andrew. "On a Remote Path to Cures" New York Times. January 1, 2008.
  7. ^ Maca Root. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  8. ^ Maca. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  9. ^ Gonzales, GF.; Miranda S., Nieto J., Fernandez G., Yucra S., Rubio J., Yi P. & Gasco M. (2005). "Red maca (Lepidium peruvianum) reduced prostate size in rats". Reproductive biology and endocrinology 20 (3): 5. PMID 15661081. 
  10. ^ Gasco, M.; Villegas L., Yucra S., Rubio J. & Gonzales GF. (2007). "Dose-response effect of Red Maca (Lepidium peruvianum) on benign prostatic hyperplasia induced by testosterone enanthate". Phytomedicine 14: 460. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2006.12.003. PMID 17289361. 
  11. ^ Gonzales, GF.; Cordova A., Vega K., Chung A., Villena A., Gonez C. & Castillo S. (2002). "Effect of Lepidium peruvianum (maca) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men". Andrologia 34: 367–72. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0272.2002.00519.x. PMID 12472620. 
  12. ^ Gonzales, GF; Cordova A., Gonzales C., Chung A., Vega K. & Villena A. (2001). "Lepidium peruvianum (maca) improved semen parameters in adult men". Asian Journal of Andrology 3 (4): 301–3. PMID 11753476. 
  13. ^ Gonzales, GF.; Cordova A., Vega K., Chung A., Villena A. & Gonez C. (2003). "Effect of Lepidium peruvianum (maca), a root with aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing properties, on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men". The Journal of Endocrinology 176 (1): 163–8. doi:10.1677/joe.0.1760163. PMID 12525260. 
  14. ^ Zheng, BL.; He, K., Kim, CH., Rogers, L., Shao, Y., Huang, ZY., Lu, Y., Yan, SJ., Qien, LC. & Zheng, QY. (2000). "Effect of a lipidic extract from Lepidium peruvianum on sexual behavior in mice and rats". Urology 55 (4): 598-602. doi:10.1016/S0090-4295(99)00549-X. PMID 10736519. 

[edit] External links