Analysis Of The Chemical Components In Four Kinds Of Maca Produced In Lijiang

[Background and objectives] Maca (Lepidium meyenii walp, Maca) is a kind ofLepidium annual or biennial herbaceous plant, native to the Andes mountains with analtitude of3500-4500meters. At present, Puna is mainly distributed in the ecologicalzone in central Peru southeast of Peru city and the Puno[1-3], there are13types，including white, red, black, yellow, purple and so on. Maca has been used as foodsand drugs for thousands of years in the local, it has multi-effect,such as enhancingphysical strength, improving fertility, improving sexual function and treating femaleclimacteric syndrome. In recent years, our country, America, Japan, Spain, Australiaand other countries have successfully introduced.Since60’s of the twentieth Century, the researches concerning the chemicalcomponents of Maca are increasing, and are more and more systematic. The mainsecondary metabolites of Maca contain macamides, macaenes, alkaloids,glucosinolate, sterol and steroid and so on, and the content of different chemicalcomposition of the different color type of Maca is different, such as the content ofmacamides, macaenes and alkaloids in purple Maca is higher than in other color typeof Maca[4,5], and the content of glucosinolate and sterol in white Maca is higher thanin other color type of Maca[6,7,8]. In addition, the content of protein, carbohydrate,fatty acid, fiber and minerals of Maca are high, and it has high nutritional value.The reports that Maca has multi-effect,, such as improving sexual function, promote spermatogenesis, improving fertility, regulating endocrine, refreshing the body,enhance immunity, releasing the pressure, are increasing gradually. The multi-effectof Maca is closely related to secondary metabolites such as macamides, macaenes,alkaloids, glucosinolate and sterol and so on and rich in nutrients.At present, there’re more and more studies on chemical composition and function ofMaca, and the related products of Maca are also becoming more and more pluralism.But the basic research on Maca, especially the research on its mechanism has yet to befurther studied, the purification method of Maca also needs to be improved andoptimized.In recent years, Maca has been successfully planted in Lijiang,Yunnan of our country,but different varieties of Maca quality remains to be seen. This topic analyzes thecontents of four kinds of chemical components in different Maca produced in Lijiang,to evaluate the quality of different Maca through analyzing the contents of these fourkinds of chemical components, and it will provide guidance for the development ofbasic research, clinical application, the products and the introduction of maca inChina.[Materials and methods]1,The yellow, black, purple and white Maca produced inLijiang;2, All test were used with double-blind ways;3. The acidic dye colorimetry,takes oxymatrine as standard, in the UV VIS spectrophotometer determination ofMaca extract under the absorbance and standard curve of fluid, to calculate thecontent of total alkaloids in maca; the indene three ketone colorimetric method, witharginine as a standard, in the UV VIS spectrophotometer determination of Macaextract under the absorbance and standard curve of fluid, to calculate the content ofamino acid in maca; using the Cammas blue colorimetric method, with bovine serumalbumin as a standard, in the UV VIS spectrophotometer determination of Macaextract under the absorbance and standard curve of fluid, to calculate the content oftotal protein in maca; with direct iodimetry to detect the content of vitamin C inMaca.[Result]The total alkaloid contents of yellow, black, purple and white Maca producedin Lijiang respectively are4.7262,4.9984,4.4829and4.1669mg/g; amino acid contents are68.704,54.700,59.6256and51.600mg/g; total protein contentsare19.10,8.90,10.24and10.69mg/g；vitamin C contents are0.6593,0.4944,0.5767and0.4122mg/g.[Conclusion] The contents of four kinds of chemical components in different varietiesof Maca produced in Lijiang are different, the contents of total alkaloids in yellow,black and purple Maca are higher, and the contents in black Maca are highest; thecontents of amino acids, total protein and vitamin C in yellow Maca are highest.