Study on Meta-Analysis of Heavy Metal Partitioning and Allocation Plasticity of Nicotiana glauca Graham (Solanaceae)

Background: Heavy metal toxicity in polluted environments triggered a number of physiological stress responses, resulting in damage to various cellular components such as membranes, proteins, and DNA. Nicotiana glauca is an Egyptian invasive plant, with conflicted trend and it was difficult to judge its orientation respecting to the environmental pollution.

Objective: The aim of the present study was the application of routine statistical as well as Meta-analyses (Box and Whisker plot and Pearson correlation coefficient) to investigate phytomass, heavy metal concentrations, molecular expression (RAPD) and heavy metal (HM) partitioning and allocation plasticity in N. glauca.

Results: The maximum heavy metal partitioning was fluctuated from 1.15 for Mn to 9.03 for Cd and both BCF and TF were more than one. All metals showed 100% significant correlation in all sites except Ni in root and Cd in shoot. Copper attained a larger interquartile range with respect to BCF, TF and PEC. All sites were characterized by relatively high GTS%, site 10 exhibited the highest total number of bands and GTS %, and the lowest percentage of polymorphism. Reversely, the site 1 attained the highest values of percentage of polymorphism and specific bands.

Conclusion: Meta-analysis revealed that Nicotiana glauca is hyperaccumulator species that can accumulate high levels of different heavy metals and adapted to polluted environments without severe changes in its genetic material.