Aechmea Magdalenae Research Articles

Local Genetic and Clonal Structure in the Tropical Terrestrial Bromeliad, Aechmea Magdalenae

Local Genetic and Clonal Structure in the Tropical Terrestrial Bromeliad, Aechmea Magdalenae

Growth and photosynthesis of Aechmea magdalenae, a terrestrial CAM plant in a tropical moist forest, Panama

ABSTRACTAechmea magdalenae is a terrestrial bromeliad that dominates areas of forest understorey on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Nocturnal CO2 uptake via crassulacean acid metabolism was the primary means of carbon gain under well-watered conditions and all light regimes. The ability to maintain a positive carbon balance under conditions of very low light was demonstrated by laboratory measurements of photosynthesis and forest measurements of growth. Low-light-grown juvenile rosettes had the same daily net assimilation whether tested at photon flux densities of 15 or 300 μmol m−2 s−1 Growth rates of rosettes in treefall gaps were similar to those of plants in closed canopy forest. Growth rates of forest plants were increasingly correlated with canopy openness as the wet season progressed due to increased growth by gap plants, suggesting that water availability rather than light may limit growth during the annual dry season.

Determination of antibacterial activity in rhizome of plant Aechmea magdalenae (andre) andre ex baker

The rising resistance of microbes toward the present-day antibiotics has led the researchers to increasinglyinvestigate medicinal plant-based antibiotics. The plant Aechmea magdalenae (Andre) Andre ex Baker (Bromeliaceae) is a terrestrial bromeliad native to Central America and Northwestern South America. Throughout much of its range, the juice from the leaves of A. magdalenae has been used by locals as caustic for wounds. Inthe lowland wet forests of Costa Rica, however, the local herbal healers do not rely on this species. In this study,antibacterial and biochemical analyses were conducted on A. magdalenae to document its potential use as amedicinal plant for both the local people in Costa Rica and to the scientific community. Gas chromatography-massspectrometry profiling studies also revealed, acetic acid to be one of the important chemical compound present inhigh probability in A. magdalenae. The antibacterial activity was confirmed by performing agar disc diffusion assayusing various concentrations of acetic acid against bacteria Escherichia coli. Acetic acid clearly demonstratedits antibacterial effect against E. coli. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic extracts of A. magdalenae wastested against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). The methods usedto determine the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts were agar well diffusion assay and 96-well plateassay. In both the assays, gentamicin was used as a positive control and 20% dimethyl sulfoxide was used asa negative control. In 96 well plate assay, resazurin was used as an indicator to evaluate qualitatively whetherthe bacteria there was the growth of the bacteria or no growth. All the tests were performed in triplicates. Thezones of inhibition recorded were higher for S. aureus (10.5 mm) as compared to E. coli (9.5 mm). The minimuminhibitory concentration for E. coli was higher as compared to S. aureus.

Plantae mexicanae IX: Aechmea magdalenae and its Utilization as a Fibre Plant

Plantae mexicanae IX: Aechmea magdalenae and its Utilization as a Fibre Plant