Male Reproductive Nutrition in a Stabilized Black Maca-Oyster Oligopeptide Composite Premix: Human Semen Evidence for Maca and Zinc-Related Context

Male-reproductive nutrition is easier to interpret when the delivered botanical and micronutrient exposures are defined. We characterized a stabilized NVTIA® black maca-oyster oligopeptide premix and compared its composition with human evidence on semen outcomes for maca and zinc-containing interventions. Black maca extract and oyster oligopeptide represented 27.7% and 26.7% of the dry premix, respectively; the formulation also contained L-citrulline, taurine and yeast zinc. After oyster-peptide pre-embedding and post-mixing of black maca, total macamide retention was 88.8% after three months of accelerated storage. A 1 g/day reference intake supplied approximately 277 mg black maca extract, 267 mg oyster oligopeptide and 5 mg elemental zinc. In a 12-week randomized pilot using 1.75 g/day maca, semen measures increased numerically within the maca group but did not differ significantly from placebo. A later randomized trial in 69 men with mild asthenozoospermia and/or oligozoospermia used 2 g/day maca and reported higher sperm concentration than placebo (15.04±5.61 vs 10.16±3.59; P=0.011), with no significant group differences in semen volume, motility or morphology. Zinc trials also differ by population: combined folate-zinc increased total normal sperm count in an earlier study, whereas a large 2020 infertility-treatment trial found no improvement in semen quality or live birth. The formulation data establish stable macamide and zinc delivery; the human literature indicates that future complete-premix studies should prespecify the male population, baseline nutritional status and individual semen endpoints.