Effect ofLepidium meyenii(maca) on testicular function of mice with chemically and physically induced subfertility

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) in chemically and physically subfertile mice. After 35 days, the following groups of mice were evaluated: control, sham, chemical subfertility, chemical subfertility-maca-supplemented, physical subfertility, physical subfertility-maca-supplemented and maca-supplemented only. Motility (32.36% ± 5.34%) and sperm count (44.4 ± 5.37 × 10(6) /ml) in the chemically and physically subfertile mice (11.81% ± 4.06%, 17.34 ± 13.07 × 10(6) /ml) decreased compared to the control (75.53% ± 2.97% and 57.4 ± 19.6 10(6) /ml) and sham (53.5% ± 7.86% and 58.4 ± 14.10 10(6) /ml). Maca was able to reverse the deleterious effect of motility (76.36 ± 1.97) as well as sperm count (53.5 ± 9.18 × 10(6) /ml) on chemical subfertility. In contrast, maca did not reverse the effects of induced physical subfertility nor motility (18.78% ± 14.41%) or sperm count (20.17 ± 11.20 × 10(6) /ml). The percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation in the physically subfertile mice increased (11.1% ± 19.29%) compared to the control (0.84% ± 0.85%). However, in the physically subfertile group, maca decreased sperm DNA fragmentation (2.29% ± 2.30%) closer to the sham (1.04% ± 0.62%) and the control (0.84% ± 0.85%). The group supplemented only with maca showed 0.54% ± 0.50% of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation. Yet, the differences observed were statistically not significant. In conclusion, it appears that maca activates the cytochrome P450 system after chemically induced subfertility. However, it does not reverse the low mitochondrial membrane potential in spermatozoa compromised in the physical subfertility group.

Role of Antioxidant Natural Products in Management of Infertility: A Review of Their Medicinal Potential

“…In total, 75 studies focused on plant derived compounds, five studies on animal derived compounds, and only one study presented a natural substance of fungal origin. Natural products which were mentioned more than once include Curcumin, Echinacoside, and extracts from Cistanche tubulosa , Date palm pollen, Diallyl sulfide , Lycium barbarum , Linn., Lepidium meyenii Walp., Morinda oleifera Lam, and Tribulus terrestis Linn [ 6 , 9 , 22 , 50 , 51 , 54 , 55 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 104 , 105 ]. Especially, the effects of Tribulus terrestis Linn.…”

“…In order to fully demonstrate the efficacy of the natural products, it is necessary to progress a properly designed experiment that is targeted on models that induced reproductive toxicity in advance. Moreover, several studies were progressed with high doses, especially maca capsule and extract were treated using more than 500 mg/kg [ 64 , 65 ]. Two of three studies that reported the efficacy of Moringa oleifera used more than 100 mg/kg [ 66 , 67 ].…”

“…These results indicated that Maca attenuated chemical infertility through regulation of cytochrome p450 and androgen production, which was most distinct at the maximum dose of 100 mg/kg. Cuya et al also investigated the effects of Maca extract (666 mg/kg for 35 days) on chemically and physically subfertile BALB/c mice [ 65 ]. Oral administration of ketoconazole and exposure of magnetic fields were utilized to render subfertility, and treatment with Maca extracts increased sperm motility and sperm count.…”

Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

“…Aqueous maca extract at a dose of 2.2 g/Kg daily in rats was also found to reverse the damaging effect of lead acetate on Stages VII, VIII and IX–XI on seminiferous epithelium length and maintained corpus and cauda epididymis sperm count, daily sperm count and spermatid count (Rubio et al, 2006 ). A study by Valdivia Cuya et al ( 2016 ) of maca on chemically and physically induced sub‐fertility in mice also gave concurring results with 666 mg/Kg BW daily of aqueous extract. Maca was also reported to have potential use in treating erectile dysfunction related to hypogonadism and microvascular damage in diabetes (Kimura et al, 2016 ; Zheng et al, 2000 ).…”

Myrciaria dubia “camu camu” flour as a magnetoprotector in male mouse infertility

“…Due to this, a nutritional supplement proven in fertility ( Lipidium meyenii “maca”) was proposed to counteract physically‐induced infertility by MFs. Although a decrease in DNA fragmentation was obtained, no recovery was observed in sperm motility [Valdivia et al, ] which is produced when mitochondrial activity has been affected. That is why this study's objective was to search for a powerful agent that can reverse damage to the mitochondrial sperm membrane due to free radicals from ELF‐MF exposure, in order to determine a possible application in human beings, contributing to public health.…”