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Toxic effect of tetracycline exposure on growth, antioxidative and genetic indices of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

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Abstract

Introduction

More attention has been paid to tetracycline contamination in view of its rapid increasing concentration in the environment. Therefore, it is important to set up rapid, simple, and accurate methods for monitoring tetracycline ecotoxicity.

Methods

In the present study, a hydroponics experiment was conducted to examine toxic effects of tetracycline at the concentration range of 0.5 to 300 mg L−1 on growth, antioxidative, and genetic indices of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Results

The results indicated that tetracycline at 0.5–10 mg L−1 could stimulate seed germination, cell mitotic division, and growth of wheat seedlings and did not induce a significant increase in the activity of antioxidative enzymes. However, tetracycline at the high concentrations (10–300 mg L−1) could significantly inhibit these parameters in the concentration-dependent manner, including germination percentage (≥100 mg L−1), shoot height (≥100 mg L−1), root length (≥50 mg L−1), and mitotic index (≥50 mg L−1), and increased the activity of antioxidative enzymes (≥25 mg L−1) in the dose-dependent manner, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. Tetracycline at 5 mg L−1 and above significantly augmented chromosome aberration frequency and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. On the other hand, MDA has positive correlation with the inhibition rates of seed germination, root length, shoot length, mitotic index, and antioxidative enzyme activities.

Conclusion

Tetracycline may have potential physiological, biochemical, and genetic toxicity to plant cells, and chromosome aberration and MDA might be sensitive bioindicators for tetracycline contamination than the other plant characteristics.

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Acknowledgments

The authors heartily thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China for its financial support as general projects (Grant Nos. 20977053, and 20777040) and as a key project (Grant No. 21037002). This work was also supported by the Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China as a grand fostering project (Grant No. 707011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria (Ministry of Education)/Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People’s Republic of China

    Xiujie Xie, Qixing Zhou, Dasong Lin, Jianmian Guo & Yanyu Bao

  2. Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecological Process, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Qixing Zhou

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  1. Xiujie Xie
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  2. Qixing Zhou
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Correspondence to Qixing Zhou.

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Responsible editor: Henner Hollert

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Xie, X., Zhou, Q., Lin, D. et al. Toxic effect of tetracycline exposure on growth, antioxidative and genetic indices of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Environ Sci Pollut Res 18, 566–575 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-010-0398-8

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