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. 2022 Aug 30:13:934740.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.934740. eCollection 2022.

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp .) on semen quality parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hye Won Lee  1 , Myeong Soo Lee  2 , Fan Qu  3 , Je-Won Lee  4 , Eunseop Kim  5
Affiliations

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp .) on semen quality parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hye Won Lee et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to examine the evidence for the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walp. [Brassicaceae] (L. meyenii W.), known as maca, on improving semen quality. Methods: Nine databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the parameters for improvements in semen quality, regardless of the type of L. meyenii W. The risk of bias (ROB) among the studies was evaluated according to the Cochrane ROB tool. Results: Five RCTs met all of the inclusion criteria. Three RCTs showed mixed efficacy of maca in improving semen quality parameters, including sperm concentration and sperm motility, in men experiencing infertility. The meta-analysis also failed to show the efficacy of maca in increasing the sperm concentration compared to the placebo (weighted mean difference, 2.22, 95% confidence interval -2.94 to 7.37, p = 0.4). Two other RCTs also showed mixed effects of maca on several semen quality parameters in healthy men. Conclusion: The evidence from the included studies suggests unclear effects of maca on semen quality parameters in both men experiencing infertility and healthy men. However, the total number of RCTs and the total sample size were too small to draw firm conclusions.

Keywords: Lepidium meyenii W.; herbal medicine; infertility; maca; semen.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Study flow chart. A flowchart of the patient selection process.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(A) Risk-of-bias graph and (B) risk-of-bias summary: the present authors’ judgments about the risk of bias for each item in all included studies.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Forest plot of the effect of maca on the semen concentration.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Albatross plot of the main outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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