Efectos metabólicos de Lepidium meyenii Walpers, "MACA" y Lupinus mutabilis Sweet, "CHOCHO" en ratas

Abstract

Lepidium meyenii, "Maca" and the Lupinus mutabilis S, "Chocho" belong to the group of plants known as nutraceutic plants. Maca has been used since the seventh century BC and it was the most important crop in Peruvian agriculture during the sisxteenth century, around the time when the Spanierds arrived to our territory. This plant belongs to the Cruciferaceae (Brasicaceae) family. Both plants (Maca and Chocho) were used in Peru, since pre Columbian times as part of the diet as well as for their medicinal properties. In these issue, we evaluated the effects of Maca and Lupinus on female Sprague Dawley rats (weight between 120 and 170 g), and we tested Hemoglobin, hematocrit, total proteins, albumin, TGO, TGP and corporal weight values after 15 and 30 days of trestment.We used 60 albino rats, distributed in three groups of twenty animals each one. The first group was the control and received 0,9% saline solution for 30 days. The second group received Maca flour watery solution at 500 mg/kg doses and the third group received Lupinus, watery solution at 500 mg/kg doses for thirty days.Our results showed an increase of the serum levels of triglycerides due to Lupinus (from 45.9 to 76.55mg) after 30 days in relation to the control that varied from 43.5 to 61.8mg. With Maca variations were from 43.5 to 56.7 mg. We also appeciated a slight increase of hematocrit and haemoglobin after 15 days of treatment with Maca in relation to the control group. Analyses between control and treated groups showed no statistical differences.