Red Maca

Summary of Findings:

• Administration of acrylamide (a by-product of cooking that is a known carcinogen) significantly increased (p<0.001) malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in erythrocytes, brain, and liver.

• Red maca was administered at a dose of 1 and 2 g/kg body weight for 4 weeks

• Red maca

• Prevented (p<0.001) an increase in MDA levels in all tissues

• Significantly (p<0.001) lower levels of ALT and AST

• Prevented oxidative stress and liver toxicity caused by acrylamide.

• Further, twenty-five secondary metabolites were identified in the red maca including carbolines, alkamides, fatty acids, and macamides, "...which are probably involved in their antioxidant protective role."

Summary of Findings:

• Antidepressant-like behavioral in male rats and spatial memory in ovariectomized (OVX) rats was studied using Fluoxetine and amitriptyline as reference drugs and estradiol for OVX rats.

• Red maca has anti-depressive application in male rats (dose of 0.5 and 1.0g/kg body weight)

• Red maca (dose 2.0 g/kg body weight)  increases the ability of learning and memory in OVX rats in a similar fashion that estradiol does.

Summary of Findings:

• Animals were treated with estradiol, red maca, or black maca for 28 days, then exposed to high altitudes, which are noted to impair female reproductive health. 

• Red and black maca extracts significantly (P < .001) reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) (a toxic product from lipid peroxidation) levels in a similar fashion to estradiol.

• "Red and black maca extracts had similar effects with E2, by significantly (P < .001) reversing and increasing the ovariectomized induced decrease in cornified endometrial cell number." 

• Under hypoxic conditions (which generate oxidative stress), the black maca (P < .05) and E2 (P < .01) increased the uterine weight, without recovery of uterine function.

• "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that shows how black and red maca extracts reduced the lipid peroxidation in a similar way to estradiol..."

Summary of Findings:

• Doses of 40 mg and 80 mg of red maca were compared against control and finasteride

• "Red Maca and finasteride treatments decreased inflammatory cells counts in prostate, inhibiting TNF-a by different pathways."

• "Finasteride increased IL4 whereas Red Maca increased INF-g."

• "In conclusion, data suggest that finasteride acts on Th2 response by increasing IL4 in prostate, while Red Maca acts on Th1 response mediated by INF-g."

Summary of Findings:

• Methanolic red maca extract and is butanol and aqueous fractions were studied for its effects on the expression of androgen and estrogen receptors in rats with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) induced by testosterone enanthate (TE).

• Red maca as an extract and butanol fraction reduced prostate weight in a similar manner to Finasteride

• Aqueous fraction increased androgen and ERα receptors.

• All maca groups restored the expression of ERβ. 

• "In conclusion, butanol fraction of red maca reduced prostate size in BPH by restoring expression of ERβ without affecting androgen receptors and ERα."

Summary of Findings:

• The effect of spray-dried extract of red maca for tissue repair at high and low altitudes was studied.  Delayed wound healing and increased inflammatory cell activity was observed in the high altitudes 

• Red maca accelerated wound closure, decreased epidermal hyperplasia, and decreased the number of neutrophils and increased the number of macrophages at the wound site. 

Summary of Findings:

• Three experiments were conducted:

• Red maca aqueous extract at 0, 10, 20, 40 or 80 μg/ml was added to LNCaP cells, and viability was evaluated 24 or 48 hours after treatment.

• LNCaP cells were treated with 80 μg/ml of red maca plus one of two anticancer drugs and viability was assessed 48 hours later.

• LNCaP cells were treated with red maca 0, 20, 40 or 80 μg/ml, and mRNA level for androgen receptor and prostate-specific antigen was assessed 12 hours later.

• Red maca did not affect viability of LNCaP cells when used alone or with the anticancer therapies. 

• Red maca increased androgen signaling and prostate-specific antigen gene expression without having toxic effects.

Summary of Findings:

• Participants living in low altitudes (LA) 150 meters above sea level in Lima, Peru and high altitudes (HA) 4,340 meters above sea levels in Cerro de Pasco, Peru were included in the study comparing efficacy of black and red maca.

• About 50% of all participants reported an increase in sexual desire.

• Higher quality of life was reported in both red and black maca groups (p<0.05).

• Effects on mood, energy and CMS scores were better using red maca compared to black maca and placebo. 

• Red maca group: 80% of all participants reported increased mood and 90% reported increased energy.

• Red maca reduced chronic mountain sickness scores.

Summary of Findings:

• Various doses of rad maca were studied (2.15, 4.3, and 8.6 mg polyphenols/body weight kilogram and was compared to the estradiol for its effects. 

• Both estradiol and red maca reversed the effect of ovariectomy on the IFN-γ levels, increasing levels.

Article is in Spanish, data reported on the Abstract only, which is provided in English.

Summary of Findings:

• Aqueous extract of red maca (RM) was given to rats with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) induced by testosterone enanthate (TE). 

• Prostate weight was reduced starting at day 1 of red maca administration, reversing the effects of BPH induced by TE. 

• Upon administration, TE increase prostate zinc levels. Red maca reduced the zinc levels.

• "To sum up, RM may regulate prostatic growth by reducing prostate zinc levels in rats where prostatic hyperplasia was induced with TE."

Summary of Findings:

• Red, yellow, and black maca demonstrated UVA/UVB absorptive properties and antioxidant activity.

• Highest activity was from red maca, followed by black and then yellow.

• Each of the three colors prevented the development of sunburns, epidermal hyperplasia, and leukocytic infiltration. 

• Red maca protected the skin and liver against lipid peroxidation.

Summary of Findings:

• Black and red maca reduced the negative effects of ovariectomy on bone health by increasing trabecular bone in the lumbar vertebrae.

• "Red and black maca have protective effects on bone architecture in OVX rats without showing estrogenic effects on uterine weight."

Summary of Findings:

• Prostate hyperplasia was induced with testosterone enanthate (TE). Hydroalcoholic extract of red maca was then compared to Finasteride, as the control.

• Red maca reduced prostate weight in 21 days, prostate acini in 14 days, and stromal area in 7 days.

• Polyphenol content of red maca increased in the aqueous fraction compared to pulverized maca. 

Summary of Findings:

• Black and yellow maca improved epididymal sperm count

• Black, yellow, and red maca improved sperm count in vas deferens.

• "Maca seems to act as a modulator of sperm count at the reproductive tract level."

Summary of Findings:

• Freeze-dried aqueous red maca in various doses was used and compared against Finasteride as the control.  Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) was induced with testosterone enanthate (TE).

• Red maca reduced prostate weight in BPH induced rats in a dose-response fashion. 

• Doses of 0.1 and 0.5 g/kg body weight resulted in higher reductions in prostate weight compared to Finasteride. 

Summary of Findings:

• Prostatic hyperplasia was induced in male rats with testosterone enanthate (TE) and two extracts of red maca were compared.

• "The present study showed that hydroalcoholic or aqueous extract of red maca containing 0.1 mg of benzylglucosinolate can reduce prostate size in male rats in which prostatic hyperplasia had been induced by TE."

Summary of Findings:

• Yellow, black, and red maca were studied

• Black maca provided the most beneficial effects on latent learning, particularly on trained mice though all phenotypes were effective for trained and non-trained mice (p<0.05)

• All varieties demonstrated anti-depressant effects.

Summary of Findings:

• Prostate weight was reduced (p<0.05)

• No effect on testicular or epididymal weight, sperm motility or sperm count

Summary of Findings:

• Red maca significantly reduced ventral prostate size. 

• Red maca also prevented the prostate weight increase induced by TE treatment

• Neither yellow nor black maca were found to have an impact on prostate health.

• Serum T or E2 levels were not affected by any of the colors of maca assessed.