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WONDROUS HERBS MACA COMPOSITION PROFILE

MACA POWDER:

From selected sun dried maca root, organically cultivated and processed with Skal International organic certification. The process of its preparation starts with the washing and disinfection of maca with a special washing machine and a biodegradable detergent; afterwards it is triturated in a machine to be dried in a cabin on trays at a maximum of 40º c hot air for 6 hours to obtain triturated maca at 6 % of humidity. This is immediately taken to be milled and packed. The maca powder obtained is of cream colour, maintains its nutritional and medicinal properties, contains no chemical additives, is ready to be taken directly or for the preparation of herbal capsules or to be used as an ingredient providing supplementary nutrition in any prepared food.

MICRO AND MACRO COMPONENTS OF MACA

The components vary as in any plant material, according to the soils in which the herb is cultivated. The following gives average nutritional values.

TABLE 1. Analytical composition of maca in percent (Air dried tuber)

Components	%
Water	10.4
Proteins	10.2
Lipids	2.2
Hydrolyzable carbohydrates	59.0
Whole fibre	8.5
Ash	4.9

Source:Table taken from: D. Deni, G. Migliuolo, L. Rastrelli, P. Saturnino, O. Schettino, “Chemical Composition of Lepidium meyenii”, in Food Chemistry 49, USA1994; and Garró, Virginia, Macro y micro elementos de la maca, Mimeo, Lima, 1999.

TABLE 2. Vitamins

Vitamins	mg
B1 Thiamine	0.20
B2 Riboflavin	0.35
C	10
E	87
Other vitamins have been found Niacina, B6, D3 and P

Source: B1 and B2 from Chacón, Gloria, La importancia deLepidium meyenii, LepidiumPeruvianum (Maca) en la alimentación , y salud del ser humano, Lima, 1997; C and E from Garró Virginia, Op.Cit (1999).

TABLE 3. Amino acid composition of maca

Amino acids	Mg concentration Gr protein
Aspartic acid	91.7
Glutanic acid	156. 5
Serine	50.4
Threonine	33.1
Histidine	21.9
Glycine	68.3
Cystine	n/d
Alanie	63.1
Arginine	99.4
Tyrosine	30.6
Phenylalanine	55.3
Valine	79.3
Methionine	28.0
Isoleucine	47.4
Leucine	91.0
Lysine	54.3
Tryptophan	4.9
H.O. Proline	26.0
Proline	0.5
Sarcosin	0.7

Source: data taken from D. Din , O Migliolo, L. Ratrelli, P. Saturnino, O. Schettino, “Chemical Composition of Lepidium meyenii” in Food Chemistry, 49, USA, 1994, and Garro Virginia, Nuevo sistema de solventes para cromatografía de aminoácidos y participación cuantitativa de L valina y L metionina, Tesis Doctoral, UNMSM, Lima, Peru, 1972

Table 4. Sterols as steryl acetate derivatives, present in maca.

Sterol	Present of Sterol mixture	Retension time (min.)
Brassicasteryl acetate	9.1	22.4
Ergosteryl acetate	13.6	23.8
Campesteryl acetate	27.3	25
Ergostadientyl acetate	4.5	27.5
Sitosteryl acetate	45.5	19.5

Source: table taken from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo and others, Op. cit. 1994.

Table 5. Fatty acids as methyl ester derivatives, present in maca.

Fatty acids	Percent of Methyl Ester Mixture
Dodecanoic (lauric)	0.8
7-tridecenoic	0.3
Tridecanoic	0.1
Tetradecanoic (myristic0	1.4
7-pentadecenoic	0.5
Pentadecanoic	1.1
9-esadecenoic (palmitolete)	2.7
Esadecanoic (palmitic)	23.8
9-heptadecenoic	1.5
Heptadecanoic	1.8
9,12 octadecadienoic (linoliec)	12.6
9-octadecenoic (oleic)	11.1
Octadecanoic (stearic)	6.7
11- nonadecanoic	1.3
Nonadecanoic	0.4
15-eicosenoic	2.3
Eicosanoic (archidie)	1.6
Docosanoic (behenic)	2.0
15 tetracosenoic (nervonic)	0.4
Tetracosanic (lignoceric)	0.4
Fatty acid saturated (%)	40.1
Unsaturated (%)	52.7
Saturated/unsaturated ratio	0.76

Source: data from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo, L. Rastrelli, other, Op. Cit, (1994)

Table 6. Mineral composition of maca (mg/100 g fry matter)

*Minerals*	mg/100 g fry matter
Fe	16.6
Mn	0.8
Cu	5.9
Zn	3.8
Na	18.7
K	2,050.0
Ca	450
P	230

Source: data from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo and others Op. cit, (1994)
and Garró Virginia, Op. Cit (1999).

Other components: fructose, flavonoids, sterols, alkaloids, steroids, and tannin, other minerals such as bismuth, tin, aluminium, silica, magnesium.