Seed mass maturity in the terrestrial bromeliad Hechtia perotensis (Bromeliaceae), endemic to Mexico / Madurez de las semillas en la bromelia terrestre Hechtia perotensis (Bromeliaceae), endémica de México

Abstract Introduction: H. perotensis is a plant with a high potential for ecological restoration because it yields thousands of seeds and grows under low levels of rain, poor soils and contrasting temperatures. However, little is known of the seed mass maturity (high seed germination, low seed fresh weight and low seed moisture content) in this species. Objective: Assess seed germination in the laboratory of H. perotensis during seed development and along the floral stalk (infructescence) in two sites one in rocky location and another near a lake. The hypothesis was that there is a time after flowering in which seeds have highest germination and fresh weight and that the apical, centre and base of the infructescence are different in seed germination and fresh weight in both sites. Methods: Capsules were collected in two sites one in rocky land (Frijol Colorado, Perote, Veracruz) and another near one lake (Alchichica, Puebla), in the months of August, September and November 2016 and January 2017. A repeated measure design (RMD) was used to analyze the effects of infructescence section on seed weight, moisture content and seed germination (41, 87, 152 and 215 days after flowering). Each evaluation time comprised five replicates, each one with 15 seeds. Results: Difference in seed germination, seed weight and moisture content between sections of the infructescence was not significant. However, significant differences were found not only between first and last sample dates, but mainly between first and second dates. Eighty-seven days after flower pollination seed moisture content was lower than 20 % and up to 80 % of seed germinated in both sites of sampling. Conclusions: In this study it was found that the moisture content of H. perotensis seed can be used as an indicator of the physiological maturity of the seed and it is also related to germination of the seed.

Resumen Introducción: H. perotensis es una planta con un alto potencial para la restauración ecológica debido a que produce miles de semillas y crece con niveles bajos de lluvia, suelos pobres y temperaturas contrastantes. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de la madurez de las semillas (germinación alta, baja humedad y bajo peso fresco de semilla) en esta especie es muy poco conocido. Objetivo: Evaluar la germinación en el laboratorio de las semillas de H. perotensis, durante el desarrollo de la semilla y a lo largo del tallo floral (infrutescencia) en dos sitios; uno en un área rocosa y otro cerca de un lago. La hipótesis fue que hay un tiempo después de la floración, en el que las semillas presentan la mayor germinación y menor peso fresco, y que las secciones apical, central y base de la infrutescencia, la germinación y el peso fresco de la semilla son diferentes en los dos sitios. Métodos: se recolectaron las cápsulas en dos sitios uno en un área rocosa (Frijol Colorado, Perote, Veracruz) y otro cerca de un lago (Alchichica, Puebla), en los meses de Agosto, Septiembre y Noviembre de 2016 y Enero de 2017. Se usó un diseño de medidas repetidas (DMR) para analizar los efectos de la sección de la infrutescencia sobre el peso fresco de la semilla, el contenido de humedad y la germinación de la semilla (41, 87, 152 y 215 días, después de la floración). Cada tiempo de evaluación comprendió cinco réplicas y 15 semillas. Resultados: La diferencia en la germinación de la semilla, el peso de la semilla y el contenido de humedad entre las secciones de la infrutescencia no fue significativa. Sin embargo, se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las fechas de muestreo inicial y final, pero sobre todo entre la primera y la segunda fecha. Asimismo, ochenta y siete días después de la polinización de las flores, el contenido de humedad de las semillas fue inferior al 20 % y superior al 80 % en la germinación de las semillas en ambos sitios de muestreo. Conclusiones: en este estudio se encontró que el contenido de humedad de la semilla de H. perotensis, puede usarse como un indicador de la madurez fisiológica de la semilla y también está relacionado con la germinación de la semilla.

Research Progress on Chemical Constituents from Infructescence of Platycarya strobilacea and Their Pharmacological Activities / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The infructescence of Platycarya strobilacea is the dry infructescence of P. strobilacea, which is a traditional medicinal plant in China. It has functions of clearing up heat and detoxification, dispelling wind and relieving pain, activating blood circulation and removing stasis, clearing orifices and expelling pus. It is commonly used by people to treat various complications caused by acute and chronic rhinitis, sinusitis and acute upper respiratory tract infection, and is a kind of Chinese medicine with excellent development space and utilization value and has broad market prospects. There are many chemical constituents in the infructescence of P. strobilacea, including volatile oils, Phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates and other compounds. Among them, volatile oils are the most abundant, but lack of correlated activity studies. Phenolic compounds, flavonoids and terpenoids are the main pharmacogenetics constituents. However, few of these compounds have been isolated and identified. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the infructescence of P. strobilacea has many pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-inflammatory and bacteriostasis, anti-aging, growth promotion, hypotension and sedation, but the existing studies mainly focus on anti-virus, anti-inflammatory and bacteriostasis, anti-tumor effects, and other activities have not been further explored. In the future, the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of the infructescence of P. strobilacea should be studied in depth, and its mechanism should be further clarified so that it can be more fully and reasonably applied. By consulting domestic and foreign literature in recent years in CNKI, VIP database, Wanfang date, PubMed and other databases. The chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical application of the infructescence of P. strobilacea were summarized and expounded its research progress in order to provide theoretical reference for further research and further development and application of the Infructescence of P. strobilacea.