Stress Response and Phytoextraction Potential of Two Noccaea caerulescens Populations in Multicontaminated Soil

Abstract Background and Aims Multi-contamination of soils by various organic and inorganic pollutants is considered an obstacle for the development of hyperaccumulator plants and phytoextraction of metals. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in combination with trace elements on the antioxidant response and phytoextraction efficiency of the Ganges and Chavignée populations of the hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens.Methods Plants were grown in soil containing some heavy metals at moderate concentrations under phenanthrene (PHE), a model PAH stress condition, for 17 days.Results In general, exposure to PHE resulted in a reduction of growth parameters, along with the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes and compounds and limitations in nutrient uptake and heavy metal extraction in N. caerulescens. Variations were observed in the magnitude of enzymatic activities and the amount of extracted metals between the two studied populations. Chavignée plants exhibited a slightly more tolerant response to stress than Ganges.Conclusion The presence of PHE in the soil proved to be highly toxic for N. caerulescens. Nevertheless, to some extent, growth, metals extraction, and antioxidant defense responses differed slightly between the studied populations, suggesting that the difference in defense capacity might ensue different tolerance. This distinction may be related to the adaptations acquired by each population depending on the soil type it originated from.