The in vitro biological activity of Lepidium meyenii extracts |
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Authors: | K Valentová D Buckiová V K?en J Pěknicová J Ulrichová V ?imánek |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc;(2) Department of Teratology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Republic;(3) Laboratory of Biotransformation, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Republic;(4) Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic;(5) Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Hněvotínská 3, 775 15 Olomouc, Czech Republic |
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Abstract: | The biological activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts from dehydrated hypocotyls of Lepidium meyenii (Brassicaceae, vernacular name “maca”), was studied on rat hepatocytes and human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The extracts
did not exhibit cytotoxicity in hepatocyte primary cultures up to 10 mg/ml as measured by the MTT viability test, and lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) leakage. Moreover, after 72 h, extracts inhibited LDH and AST leakage
from the hepatocytes. When hepatocytes were intoxicated by t-butyl hydroperoxide, neither extract prevented oxidative damage. Both extracts showed weak antioxidant activity in the DPPH
radical scavenging test with IC50 values of 3.46 ± 0.16 and 0.71 ± 0.10 mg/ml, for aqueous and methanolic extracts, respectively. Thus, the observed effect
on spontaneous enzyme leakage is probably mediated through mechanisms other than antioxidant activity. Both methanolic and
aqueous extracts have shown estrogenic activity comparable with that of silymarin in MCF-7 cell line. Maca estrogenicity was
exhibited in the range from 100 to 200 μg of extract per ml. The findings in the present study show that maca does not display
in vitro hepatotoxicity. In contrast, a slight cytoprotective effect, probably not mediated by antioxidant capacity, was noted. Maca
extracts exhibited estrogenic activity comparably to the effect of silymarin in MCF-7 cells. |
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Keywords: | Lepidium meyenii maca DPPH rat hepatocyte MCF-7 estrogenicity |
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