POMC and major depressive disorder: Also, observed reduction in both ACTH and Cortisol levels which was accompanied by the demonstrated antidepressive effect of Maca-GO on ovariectomized rats is similar to reported by DeMoranville and Jackson (35) and Sapolsky (36), who, in people suffering from illnesses and in clinical models to study depression, observed an increase in Cortisol with progression of depressive state.