''Alsophila firma'', commonly known as the maquique fern (, ), is a deciduous

tree fern The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tree ...

in the family

Cyatheaceae The Cyatheaceae are a family of ferns, the scaly tree ferns, one of eight families in the order Cyatheales in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). Alternatively, the family may defined much more broadly (Cyatheaceae '' ...

endemic to Mexico, other countries of Central America, Colombia, and Ecuador. In the

cloud forests A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

of Mexico, it is considered an emblematic species and serves as a host for native

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

plants. However, habitat destruction and overconsumption of the trunks for

handicraft A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

production have threatened populations in Mexico. As a result, ''Alsophila firma'' is considered threatened in the state of

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

and has been given special protection per Mexican law.

Description

Like other species of Alsophila, ''Alsophila firma'' has scaled stems and stipes. Adult individuals grow up to 10.5 meters and are typically found at 750 and 2000 meters above sea level. ''Alsophila firma'' is the host species to a number of fungi including ''

Bisporella pteridicola ''Bisporella'' is a genus of fungi in the family Helotiaceae. , the nomenclatural database Index Fungorum lists 31 species in the genus. Species *'' Bisporella aesculi'' *'' Bisporella allantospora'' *'' Bisporella calycellinoides'' *''Bisporell ...

'', '' Crocicreas quinqueseptatum'', '' Dasyscyphella dryina'', '' Hyaloscypha fuckelii'', among others. The stems of ''Alsophila firma'' are to date the only known habitat of the fungal genus '' Arachnopeziza''.

Uses

In Mexican

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

, a filtered infusion of the dried

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

of ''Alsophila firma'' is used to control blood sugar levels among people with

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, ...

in a

fasting state Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see "Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after com ...

. Until 2021, this claim of ''Alsophila firma's'' hypoglycemic effects were not formally studied. Research by an

ethnopharmacology Ethnomedicine is a study or comparison of the traditional medicine based on bioactive compounds in plants and animals and practiced by various ethnic groups, especially those with little access to western medicines, e.g., indigenous peoples. Th ...

group at the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

showed both significant glycemic control among hyperglycemic rats who were given an aqueous extract and inhibition of

glucose 6-phosphatase The enzyme glucose 6-phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.9, G6Pase; systematic name D-glucose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate, resulting in the creation of a phosphate group and free glucose: : D-glucose 6-phos ...

and

fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase The enzyme fructose bisphosphatase (EC 3.1.3.11; systematic name D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate 1-phosphohydrolase) catalyses the conversion of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to fructose 6-phosphate in gluconeogenesis and the Calvin cycle, which are b ...

in ''in vitro'' assays. Based on these results, the ability to regulate

hyperglycemia Hyperglycemia is a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. This is generally a blood sugar level higher than 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), but symptoms may not start to become noticeable until even ...

is believed to be related to inhibiting hepatic glucose output while in a fasting state.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15590080

firma Firma may refer to: *Firma, Missouri, a ghost town in the United States *Firma (supporter group), a Serbian football fan club *''Firma'', a monthly magazine supplement to the ''Globes (newspaper)'' newspaper * ''Firma'' (TV series), a 2005 Finnish ...

Flora of Mexico Flora of Veracruz Cloud forest flora of Mexico Species described in 1869