Skin Health
There is limited, but encouraging, evidence of maca’s ability to provide some benefits to skin health and become a potential component for cosmetic formulations.. Human studies have yet to emerge; however, animal studies suggest that the antioxidant activity and select phytochemicals found in maca may provide protection from ultraviolet radiation.
A 2008 study of aqueous yellow maca extracts (boiled and non-boiled), applied topically, provided protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVR); however, the boiled extract had a better effect compared to the non-boiled extract on skin protection in a dose-dependent manner. The glucosinolates and polyphenols found in maca are credited as the reason for this benefit, with the authors suggesting this may be an alternative means for solar protection (1).
In 2011, a team of researchers used the extract of three varieties (black, red, and yellow) of maca leaves, a part of the plant that is much less utilized. The hydroalcoholic extracts were applied topically to the dorsal skin of mice before exposure to UVR. Each of the three phenotypes demonstrated UVA/UVB absorptive properties and antioxidant activity, with the highest activity occurring from red maca, followed by black and yellow. Black maca showed the highest superoxide dismutase levels, whereas black and yellow maca showed higher catalase levels in the skin, and red maca provided protection to the skin and liver against lipid peroxidation. Each of the three colors prevented the development of sunburns, epidermal hyperplasia, and leukocytic infiltration (2).
Using topical preparations of maca for skin protection may interest researchers given the robust information available on the phytochemicals, such as glucosinolates and polysaccharides, found in maca. Kasprzak et al. confirmed that extracts of Lepidium peruvianum (red, black, gray, and purple) have depigmenting effects, antioxidant properties, and anticancer property against skin carcinomas (3). A 2024 study noted that natural polysaccharides, such as those found in maca, exhibit unique properties such as water absorption, gelling, and adhesion, making it an area of interest for use as a medical dressing for wound healing, including burns, bacterial infections, and diabetic wounds. The researchers prepared a hydrogel from maca polysaccharides that scavenged free radicals, mitigated wound inflammation, eradicated harmful bacteria, and supported skin healing (4).
Maca extracts fermented by Lactobacilli strains inhibited nitric oxide secretion in macrophages and reduced melanin in melanocytes, demonstrating its potential use in cosmetic applications to reduce brown spots and provide anti-inflammatory protection to the skin (5).
Author: Kim Ross, DCN
Reviewer: Mona Fahoum, ND
Last Updated: December 17, 2024
References
1. Gonzales-Castañeda C, Gonzales GF. Hypocotyls of lepidium meyenii (maca), a plant of the Peruvian highlands, prevent ultraviolet A-, B-, and C-induced skin damage in rats. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2008;24(1).
2. Gonzales-Castañeda C, Rivera V, Chirinos AL, Evelson P, Gonzales GF. Photoprotection against the UVB-induced oxidative stress and epidermal damage in mice using leaves of three different varieties of Lepidium meyenii (maca). Int J Dermatol. 2011;50(8).
3. Kasprzak D, Gaweł-Bęben K, Kukula-Koch W, Strzępek-Gomółka M, Wawruszak A, Woźniak S, et al. Lepidium peruvianum as a Source of Compounds with Anticancer and Cosmetic Applications. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Oct 8;25(19):10816.
4. Sun L, Yang B, Lin Y, Gao M, Yang Y, Cui X, et al. Dynamic bond crosslinked maca polysaccharide hydrogels with reactive oxygen species scavenging and antibacterial effects on infected wound healing. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Sep;276:133471.
5. Yang J, Cho H, Gil M, Kim KE. Anti-Inflammation and Anti-Melanogenic Effects of Maca Root Extracts Fermented Using Lactobacillus Strains. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Mar 24;12(4).