This study was supported by a grant obtained from the Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2009, No. 217-2009, Peru. G. F. participated in the design of the study and writing the paper. B. V. V. and M. G. participated in the development of the study. All the authors revised the manuscript. Dr. Gustavo F. Gonzales is in charge of CAYENATUR EIRL, a small enterprise that develops products based on maca. No other authors have conflict of interest.

We investigated the effect of two extracts from Peruvian plants given alone or in a mixture on sperm count and glycemia in streptozotocin-diabetic mice. Normal or diabetic mice were divided in groups receiving vehicle, black maca (Lepidium meyenii), yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) or three mixtures of extracts black maca/yacon (90/10, 50/50 and 10/90%). Normal or diabetic mice were treated for 7 d with each extract, mixture or vehicle. Glycemia, daily sperm production (DSP), epididymal and vas deferens sperm counts in mice and polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity in each extract were assessed. Black maca (BM), yacon and the mixture of extracts reduced glucose levels in diabetic mice. Non-diabetic mice treated with BM and yacon showed higher DSP than those treated with vehicle (p < 0.05). Diabetic mice treated with BM, yacon and the mixture maca/yacon increased DSP, and sperm cou...

The present study was supported by a grant obtained from Peruvian National Council of Sciences, Technology and Innovation (CONCYTEC) through the grant PROCOM 2008. All authors participated in the experimental design and development of the study. Also, the authors report no conflicts of interest. The study was performed in 2008. Since 2009, Dr Gustavo F. Gonzales is in charged of CAYENATUR EIRL an enterprise that develops products based on Maca.

PROCOM 2007-2008

This study was performed to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on UV spectrum on maca, total content of polyphenols, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities and in vivo biological activities of red and black maca extracts (Lepidium meyenii).