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DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1545140
Detection of adulteration in Maca dietary supplements using NMR spectroscopy
Maca, Lepidium meyenii Walpers (Brassicaceae), is a perennial, herbaceous plant grown on the high Andean plateaus. Its small, turnip-like root has been traditionally used as food. In recent years, maca has been used as an aphrodisiac, energizer, fertility enhancer, and is a so-called natural Viagra or Peruvian ginseng. As maca products have gained increasing popularity throughout the world, both the demand and price have increased dramatically. A global shortage of maca plant material has resulted in the commercial sale of seriously adulterated dietary supplements. In the present study, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic method was developed to assess the quality of maca products sold on the market. The method can be used as a rapid tool for detection of maca adulteration.