Nicotiana glauca Graham is a wild shrub belongs to family Solanaceae. It has been reported to have both toxic and medicinal properties. The present study aims to evaluate the medicinally active constituents of Nicotiana glauca by both qualitative and quantitative tests, investigate the influence of different ecological conditions (soil properties) of four different habitats (sand plain, sand dune, salt marsh and rocky ridge) on the accumulation of these active constituents in root, stem, leaves and flowers of the plant, the non-enzymatic antioxidant activity of the plant was determined by the phosphomolybdenum assay. The results showed that the contents of these phytochemical compounds varied significantly (p < 0.01) in different habitats. The accumulation of flavonoids in Nicotiana glauca can be considered as an adaptation mechanism to water or salinity stresses imposed to the plant in its habitats. The antioxidant activity of Nicotiana glauca may be due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds.
Key words: Nicotiana glauca, Ecological stresses, Flavonoids, Antioxidant activity
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