Eco-physiological adaptations, metabolomic profiles and genetic diversity across varied habitats in four medicinal plant species

TL;DR

This study explores how four medicinal plants adapt to different environments by analyzing their chemical and genetic responses.

Contribution

The study integrates ecological, physiological, and molecular data to show how environmental factors influence plant adaptation.

Findings

Phenolic and flavonoid levels varied significantly between plant species and habitats.

SDS-PAGE revealed distinct protein expression patterns across species and locations.

Soil properties correlated with phytochemical and protein expression differences.

Abstract

Plants are constantly in need of adapting to different environmental conditions and responses in many ways. The response of plants is different between different species to the same environmental factors. It is therefore important to fulfill more about how plants respond and adapt. This study aimed to analyze four different plant species collected from two different habitats. It focused on examining the responses of these species based on the composition of phytoconstituents, measurements of antioxidant compounds, and the expression level of cellular proteins.

Plant responses varied. Total phenolics varied in all plant species between different sites, as both Tamarix aphylla and Erodium glaucophyllum have high total phenolic in plant samples collected from Al Qalyubia and the revers was correct for Zygophyllum coccineum and Haloxylon salicornicum. The flavonoid is higher in samples collected from Al Qalyubia than from Al Suez in all plant species and the highest values recorded in samples of E. glaucophyllum (2.80 mg/g FW) and the lowest values recorded in Z. coccineum (0.19 and 0.173 mg/g FW). Correlation between plant Total phenols, Flavonoids, TAC, DPPH and soil analysis showed a significant negative correlation between DPPH and Total phenols. GC-MS analysis showed a remarkable variation in phytochemistry in plants from different location. The PCA analysis between soil and the GC-MS analysis and heatmap clustering correlation arranged plant in groups according to the similarity in phytoconstituents and soil, Haloxylon salicornicum showed the most distance between the samples from the same species and the short distance between samples of the same species was in Zygophyllum coccineum the data was matching with the TDS and EC analysis of soil samples. Genetic diversity was studied where total cellular proteins (TCPs) were extracted using 12% SDS-PAGE. The SDS-PAGE technique resolved clear and distinct protein bands ranging between 15 and 130 kDa. The results showed differential expression of multiple protein bands running at approximately 130, 70, 55, 50, 45, and 30 kDa in all studied samples, detected with various intensities. At the species-specific level, several unique protein bands were detected in some taxa but were barely detected or absent in others. Band scoring revealed a total of 38 protein bands with polymorphism percentage (P % = 73.68%) of 10 monomorphic and 28 polymorphic bands. The Euclidean distance tree revealed the differentiation of the eight samples into two main groups. Moreover, multivariate heatmap analysis was conducted and the results agreed with and affirmed the results of the cluster analysis.

It could be suggested that the effect of the ecological drivers (viz. EC, TDS, Ca, Mg, Na, and SO4) on the metabolic activities, metabolomics of phytoconstituents, and the expression levels of cellular proteins influenced a differential behavior indicated through the results shown in the present study. This behavior could be linked and engaged with the protection of cellular metabolic activities and consistent protein expression against adverse climatic environmental conditions. This manuscript demonstrated the potential integration of ecological, physiological, and molecular analyses as a powerful strategy that can benefit different sectors of stockholders, including both academic and non-academic researchers, in sustaining the medicinal and economic significance of plant productivity.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-025-07521-7.

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