Discovery and Quantitative Analysis of Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor (Nrf2) Activators in Maca (Lepidium meyenii) Using the Synthetic Macamides

摘要

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a biennial herbaceous plant of family Brassicaceae with various bioactivities such as reproductive health enhancement, antifatigue, antioxidation, neuroprotection, anticancer, hepatoprotection, and immunomodulation. But studies on molecular mechanisms beyond the phenomenal physiology are rare because the putative bioactive chemical constituents, macamides, a series of unique N-benzylamides with long-chain fatty acids are difficult to isolate from the natural maca specimen. In this study, ten macamides were chemically synthesized to investigate biological mechanisms underlying the various bioactivities.