Impact of Tetracycline on Basil and its Remediation Potential

Over the past decade presence of antibiotics in soil and water is a major environmental concern which needs to be address on a priority basis. The present study was done to evaluate the potential of basil (Ocimum basilicum) for phytoremediation. A greenhouse study was conducted for removal of tetracycline from soil. The plants were grown with 200 mgkg−1, 400 mgkg−1, and 600 mgkg−1 of tetracycline for four weeks. Accumulation of tetracycline in shoot and root was observed with HPTLC in plants. They showed a maximum of 97% remediation capability with 200 mgkg−1of tetracycline treated plants. Secondary metabolites were lepoxygenase pathway products in stress condition. The same were analyzed by GCMS. Alpha-terpineol and methyl acetate completely degraded in all samples, while they were present in plants grown without tetracycline. This could be because antibiotic treatments impact the production of lipoxygenase pathway products, while in some cases secondary metabolites increase marginally as the tetracycline concentrations increased. The aim of the current work was the use of plant-based system for phytoremediation and toxicological impact of tetracycline on basil.