Effects of Lepidium meyenii Walp (Maca) on Fecundity and Puppy Growth in Mice

蠻哥（Maca）對母鼷鼠生殖能力與其仔鼠發育之影響

郭宗甫(Tzong-Fu Kuo) ； 張銘煌(Ming-Huang Chang) ； 廖明一(Ming-Yi Liau)

《臺灣獸醫學雜誌》 29卷1期 (2003/03) Pp. 1-8

https://doi.org/10.7009/TVJ.200303.0001

摘要

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp) is a medicinal herb belonging to Aburana family native to Andes mountains in the Latin America. This herb has been reported with various reproductive efficacy and natives of Peru have been using it as a medicinal plant. In this study, we attempted to investigate the fecundity and other reproductive traits along with puppy weights in an in vivo experiment on laboratory mice. 15 female mice and 5 male mice were raised in the animal experiment center, college of medical science, National Taiwan University. They were mated as mentioned as in the methodology and from the second generation, more 15 females were selected to be mated. The feed of the experiment group was while the control group had normal chow. The fecundity rate, body weights were monitored between the control group and test groups added with 30% Maca. There was no significant change in body weight (P＞0.05) of the selected mice for mating before pregnancy and it was also similar in the selected offspring (P＞0.05). However, with regard to litter size in the first litter (FI), the test group (TFI) had 171 pups, showing significant difference to the control group (CF1) also with 128 pups (P＞0.01). In the second litter (FII), also the number of 188 pups from the test group (TFII) was significantly higher than the control group (CFII) (P＜0.05). The total offspring of the first and the second litter in both test and control groups were 359 and 283 respectively, presenting a significant difference between them (P＜0.01). There was no significant difference in the post weaning in both groups (P＞0.05). In the first litter (FI), the weight of pups in TFI was significantly heavier than the control group (CFI) during t he first and the second week (P＜0.05); in the second litter (FII), TFII was found to be significantly heavier than CFII only in the first week (P＜0.05).

關鍵字

生殖力 ； 蠻哥（Maca） ； 胎仔數 ； 鼷鼠 ； 仔鼠生長

並列摘要

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp) is a medicinal herb belonging to Aburana family native to Andes mountains in the Latin America. This herb has been reported with various reproductive efficacy and natives of Peru have been using it as a medicinal plant. In this study, we attempted to investigate the fecundity and other reproductive traits along with puppy weights in an in vivo experiment on laboratory mice. 15 female mice and 5 male mice were raised in the animal experiment center, college of medical science, National Taiwan University. They were mated as mentioned as in the methodology and from the second generation, more 15 females were selected to be mated. The feed of the experiment group was while the control group had normal chow. The fecundity rate, body weights were monitored between the control group and test groups added with 30% Maca. There was no significant change in body weight (P＞0.05) of the selected mice for mating before pregnancy and it was also similar in the selected offspring (P＞0.05). However, with regard to litter size in the first litter (FI), the test group (TFI) had 171 pups, showing significant difference to the control group (CF1) also with 128 pups (P＞0.01). In the second litter (FII), also the number of 188 pups from the test group (TFII) was significantly higher than the control group (CFII) (P＜0.05). The total offspring of the first and the second litter in both test and control groups were 359 and 283 respectively, presenting a significant difference between them (P＜0.01). There was no significant difference in the post weaning in both groups (P＞0.05). In the first litter (FI), the weight of pups in TFI was significantly heavier than the control group (CFI) during t he first and the second week (P＜0.05); in the second litter (FII), TFII was found to be significantly heavier than CFII only in the first week (P＜0.05).

並列關鍵字

Fecundity ； Lepidium meyenii walp (Maca) ； Litter size ； Mice puppy growth