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Discovery and Quantitative Analysis of Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2‐Related Factor (Nrf2) Activators in Maca ( Lepidium meyenii ) Using the Synthetic Macamides
Author(s) -
Hahn Dongyup,
Lee Mijeong,
Jeong Hyeyoon,
Kim Jaewon,
Kim Minyoul
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2020.34.s1.09103
Subject(s) - brassicaceae , diterpene , chemical genetics , traditional medicine , herbaceous plant , biology , chemistry , neuroprotection , botany , biochemistry , pharmacology , medicine , small molecule
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. Three of macamides exhibited moderate nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation was observed from cell‐based assay (EC 50 7.3–16.5 μM), which might account for some of the known bioactivities of maca. Quantitative analysis of macamide compositions in maca specimen using LC‐MS/MS was followed, which revealed the macamides with Nrf2 activation activity consist the majority among macamides contained in maca. The difference in composition of macamides among three cultivars, yellow, red and black macas was also examined. Support or Funding Information This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (2019R1F1A1051041).Chemical synthesis of macamides