Assessing Phytoremediation Potential of Basil for Ciprofloxacin

Over the past years, the prevalence of antibiotics in water and soil has become a significant environmental hazard that requires immediate attention. The purpose of this research is to examine the Ocimum basilicum (Basil) potential to remediate the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) and to determine its toxic effects on plants. A study in a greenhouse was conducted to eliminate ciprofloxacin from the soil. For four weeks, plants were grown with varying concentrations of ciprofloxacin (50 to 300 mg∙kg⁻¹) in triplicates. To analyze the ciprofloxacin uptake in Basil, remediation rates, translocation factor, and toxicity measures such as fresh & dry biomass, shoot & root lengths, change in chlorophyll, flavonoid, carotenoid, proline, phenol, and catalase content were assessed. With the help of HPTLC (high-performance thin layer chromatography) technique, accumulation of ciprofloxacin in root and shoot were analyzed. The result showed that at 100 and 200 mg∙kg⁻¹ of ciprofloxacin concentration, the selected plant showed maximum remediation of 93.81% & 92% respectively. Total chlorophyll, carotenoid, flavonoid, phenol, and catalase content, were higher at 100-200 mg∙kg⁻¹. Such increase is observed to manage ciprofloxacin-induced stress in plants. These levels later decreased at higher concentrations due to toxicity of ciprofloxacin. Therefore, this study suggests that O. basilicum is a promising plant species with high remediation rate and also confirmed that phytoremediation has a significant capability as a sustainable & eco-friendly approach for the effective removal of CIP from soil.