Study of the anti-fatigue properties of macamide, a key component in maca water extract, through foodomics and gut microbial genomics

Lepidium meyenii Walp. is a type of food used to fight fatigue, and macamides is the key anti-fatigue component in Lepidium meyenii Walp . water extract (Maca). The mechanisms of action of several foods with anti-fatigue properties lie in the oxidative balance of tissues; however, little attention has been given to the microbiome. The gut microbial community is closely related to dietary choices, as well as exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue. As such, this study used a foodomics approach to analyze the anti-fatigue properties of maca amide, a key component in maca, on the gut microbiome. The key components in maca were identified, and after validation in a mouse model, an analysis of the gut microbiome was performed. The results of database searches and network analyses showed that the key anti-fatigue component of maca was N-benzyl-9Z, 12Z-octadecadienamide (Mm). Further analyses revealed that the key microbes metabolizing Mm belonged to Alistipes , Alloprevotella , Parabacteroides , and Butyricimonas genera and the Prevotellaceae in mice. The results of microbial analysis showed that Mm could improve exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in mice by modulating the L-glutamate–ornithine–proline axis through the breakdown of histidine, arginine, and proline. Therefore, from foodomics and gut microbial genomics perspectives, this study demonstrates that macamide is the key anti-fatigue component in maca, and these findings provide new insights for the development of foods that fight fatigue.