Discover Maca, Lepidium meyenii
At Orius, we are deeply rooted in plant biology : understanding, studying, and cultivating plants while enhancing their phytochemical profiles. We work with extraordinary species that lie at the heart of our research. Today, we’re excited to share what makes Maca, Lepidium meyenii, such a fascinating and challenging plant to study and cultivate.
Maca is a resilient plant from the high Andean plateaus in Peru.
In these extreme environments, with intense UV light, cold temperatures, and thin air, plants develop sophisticated chemical strategies to adapt to their environment.
Maca produces macamides, a class of nitrogen-containing compounds unique to this species. These antioxidant molecules help the plant protect itself from intense radiation.
One interesting part of Maca is its hypocotyl, the thickened organ between the root and cotyledons, acting as a nutrient reservoir and the main source of macamides.
Beyond their protective role in plants, macamides show strong potential for human health:
- Anti-fatigue and metabolic support
- Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects
- Neuroprotective activity
- Potential antitumor properties (notably macamide B)
These properties make Maca and its macamides highly valuable for nutraceutical, cosmetic, and well-being applications.Cultivating Maca was a double challenge for Orius :
- an engineering one to promote hypocotyl development
- and a biological one to boost macamide content. with extensive research we achieved to a 7.5-fold increase in macamide concentration compared to the highest levels reported in scientific literature (Li et al., 2017).
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