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Maca (Lepidium meyenii) - cultivation, resistance and composition
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) - cultivation, resistance and composition
of secondary metabolites under European conditions
F. MARTHE 1 , W. SCHÜTZE 2 , H. KRÜGER 2 , P. SCHOLZE 1 , R. KRÄMER 1 and U. RYSCHKA 1
Introduction
From the New World, a large amount of new crop plants came to Europe and afterwards
to Asia and Africa. Many of them are of great importance world-wide such as
maize, potato, tomato and others. Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) was domesticated
about 2,000 years ago in Mesoamerica. Nowadays the growing area of this crop is
only about 50 ha in its originating region, the Departments of Junin and Cerro de
Pasco, Peru (SPECHT 2001). But this neglected crop has some exceptional features
such as growing at an altitude of up to 4,450 m in the Andean mountains, a starchy
root-hypocotyl bulb and its extensive use in traditional folk medicine (aphrodisiac,
enhancing female fertility in humans and animals) (QUIROS et al. 1996, QUIRÓS and
CÁRDENAS 1997). The fresh hypocotyl bulb contains more than 80% water. The composition
of main compounds in the dry matter comprises carbohydrates (59%), lipids
(2.2%, good composition of unsaturated compounds), proteins (10.2%, high content
of essential amino acids) and a fibre content of 8.5% (DINI et al. 1994). The bulb can
be eaten fresh or dried as powder together with milk and fruits.
This paper presents, for the first time, information about secondary metabolites, resistance
to important phytopathogens and cultivation under European conditions.
Material and methods
Two accessions (203 and 204) of maca were used for the analyses and tests.
Glucosinolates and flavonoids were determined by HPLC-method. Glucosinolate,
HPLC-conditions: system: System 1100 (Hewlett Packard with DAD), column:
ZORBAX XDB C18 150 x 2.1 mm; 3.5µ, flow: 0.55 ml/min, gradient: A (H2O) / B
1 BAZ
Institute of Horticultural Crops
Neuer Weg 22/23
D-06484 Quedlinburg, Germany
2 BAZ
Institute of Plant Analysis
Neuer Weg 22/23
D-06484 Quedlinburg, Germany
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