Ofloxacin induces etiolation in Welsh onion leaves

Xuena Liu; Yao Lv; Song Gao; Kun Xu

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128918

Ofloxacin induces etiolation in Welsh onion leaves

Chemosphere. 2021 Mar:267:128918. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128918. Epub 2020 Nov 9.

Authors

Xuena Liu¹, Yao Lv¹, Song Gao¹, Kun Xu²

Affiliations

¹ College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production in Shandong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops in Huanghuai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, PR China.
² College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production in Shandong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops in Huanghuai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Ministry of Agriculture, PR China. Electronic address: xukun@sdau.edu.cn.

PMID: 33218729
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128918

Abstract

Antibiotic pollution has become an important global issue, and ofloxacin (OFL) is widely used worldwide. However, little is known about the potential adverse effects of OFL on plants. We assessed the toxic effects of OFL on Welsh onion and explored its toxicity mechanism. The leaf pigment content increased in 0.1 mg/L of OFL but decreased in a dose-dependent manner (0.5-2 mg/L OFL) until leaf etiolation. The ultrastructure of leaves showed that the treatment of 2 mg/L OFL produced significant toxicity. Furthermore, photosynthetic and fluorescence parameters were negatively affected by OFL treatment. The photosynthetic electron transport chain was significantly inhibited by OFL treatment, especially between Q_A and Q_B. The hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content also increased with OFL concentration, indicating that antioxidant enzymes' role in antibiotic response is limited. In conclusion, OFL can damage chloroplasts by promoting ROS accumulation, which results in the etiolation of Welsh onion leaves.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; Electron transport; Ofloxacin; Photosynthesis; Welsh onion.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / toxicity
Etiolation
Ofloxacin* / toxicity
Onions*
Photosynthesis
Plant Leaves

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Ofloxacin