STUDY MACA EXTRACT (LEPIDIUM MEYENII WALP) WITH HIGH SOLUBLE COMPOUNDS

Abstract

The research was developed in the laboratory of food microbiology at the Food Industry Engineering Faculty, of Universida Nacional del Centro del Peru with samples collected from Bombón hill in Junín. The research aimed to determine the optimum conditions for obtaining a maca extract and evaluate their physicochemical and microbiological characteristics. The ethanol extract of fresh maca showed better level of soluble solids, 23.1± 1.37, compared to ethanol extract of dried maca, 21.5 ± 0.50, indicating probably a better content of secondary metabolites of biological activity, pH 6.06 ± 0.28 and % acidity 0374 ± 0.04, better physic- chemical characteristics compared to aqueous extract of maca fresh and aqueous and ethanolic extracts of dried maca. The ethanol extract of fresh maca has greater antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and is considered moderate intensity with other plant extracts with inhibition diameter of 7.5 mm ±0.14.  These results suggest a further purification and identification of active molecules present in the maca obtained in both solvents used as in other less polar.