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Dose–response effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) aqueous extract on testicular function and weight of different organs in adult rats

2005; Elsevier BV; Volume: 98; Issue: 1-2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.jep.2005.01.028

1872-7573

Francisco Chung, Julio Rubio, Carla Gonzales, Manuel Gasco, Gustavo F. Gonzáles,

Natural Compound Pharmacology Studies

Lepidium meyenii (Brassicaceae) known as Maca grows exclusively between 4000 and 4500 m over the sea level in the Peruvian central Andes. The dried hypocotyls of Maca are traditionally used as food and for its supposed fertility-enhancing properties. A dose–response study was performed to determine the effect of 7 days oral administration of an aqueous lyophilized extract of Maca at 0.01–5 g/kg (corresponding to 0.022–11 g dry hypocotyls of Maca/kg) on body and different organ weights, stages of the seminiferous tubules, epididymal sperm count and motility, and serum testosterone and estradiol levels in rats. In doses up to 5 g extract/kg, no toxicity was observed. Almost all organ weights were similar in controls and in the Maca extract-treated groups. Seminal vesicles weight was significantly reduced at 0.01 and 0.10 g extract/kg. Maca increased in length of stages VII–VIII of the seminiferous tubules in a dose–response fashion, with highest response at 1.0 g/kg, while caput/corpus epididymal sperm count increased at the 1.0 g dose. Cauda epididymal sperm count, sperm motility, and serum estradiol level were not affected at any of the doses studied. Serum testosterone was lower at 0.10 g extract/kg. Low-seminal vesicle weights correlated with low-serum testosterone levels (R2 = 0.33; P < 0.0001) and low-testosterone/estradiol ratio (R2 = 0.35; P < 0.0001). Increase in epididymal sperm count was related to lengths of stages VII–VIII. Highest effect on stages VII–VIII of the seminiferous tubules was observed at 1.0 g Maca aqueous extract/kg. The present study demonstrated that Maca extract in doses up to 5 g/kg (equivalent to the intake of 770 g hypocotyls in a man of 70 kg) was safe and that higher effect on reproductive parameters was elicited with a dose of 1 g extract/kg corresponding to 2.2 g dry Maca hypocotyls/kg.