Plant Growth, Antibiotic Uptake, and Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in an Endophytic System of Pakchoi under Antibiotic Exposure

Hao Zhang, Xunan Li, Qingxiang Yang, Linlin Sun, Xinxin Yang, Mingming Zhou, Rongzhen Deng and Linqian Bi
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Hao Zhang: School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Xunan Li: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Qingxiang Yang: School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Linlin Sun: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Xinxin Yang: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Mingming Zhou: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Rongzhen Deng: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
Linqian Bi: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: Antibiotic contamination in agroecosystems may cause serious problems, such as the proliferation of various antibiotic resistant bacteria and the spreading of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment or even to human beings. However, it is unclear whether environmental antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria, and ARGs can directly enter into, or occur in, the endophytic systems of plants exposed to pollutants. In this study, a hydroponic experiment exposing pakchoi ( Brassica chinensis L.) to tetracycline, cephalexin, and sulfamethoxazole at 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels and MIC levels, respectively, was conducted to explore plant growth, antibiotic uptake, and the development of antibiotic resistance in endophytic systems. The three antibiotics promoted pakchoi growth at 50% MIC values. Target antibiotics at concentrations ranging from 6.9 to 48.1 µg·kg ?1 were detected in the treated vegetables. Additionally, the rates of antibiotic-resistant endophytic bacteria to total cultivable endophytic bacteria significantly increased as the antibiotics accumulated in the plants. The detection and quantification of ARGs indicated that four types, tet X, bla CTX-M , and sul 1 and sul 2, which correspond to tetracycline, cephalexin, and sulfamethoxazole resistance, respectively, were present in the pakchoi endophytic system and increased with the antibiotic concentrations. The results highlight a potential risk of the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in vegetable endophytic systems.

Keywords: antibiotics; pakchoi; endophytic bacteria; antibiotic-resistant genes; hydroponic cultivation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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