Physiological and Biochemical Changes Induced
by Tetracycline in Wheat

This paper is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the 48-hour effect of different concentrations of tetracycline on the physiological and biochemical parameters of wheat seeds and shoots. As a result of the research, it was established that the increase in the frequency of seed germination, elongation of shoot height (up to 3.5-4.5 cm) and root length (up to 3.8 cm) occurred when the concentrations of tetracycline were 1-10 mg/L. The above parameters were suppressed by tetracycline applied in the concentrations ranging from 50 to 300 mg/L. When tetracycline was applied at lower concentrations (1-10 mg/L), the specific activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) slightly increased by 0.2-0.4 units. At the concentrations of 50-200 mg/L, the specific activities of SOD, CAT and POD were characterized by irregular fluctuations linked to the dose increase of tetracycline. However, all variables increased as compared to the control values obtained after 48 hours of tetracycline exposure. The study results indicate that wheat bioassay can be used as an effective test for tetracycline toxicity and environmental pollution monitoring. The subsequent works should be aimed at the use of the maximum allowable soil concentrations of antibiotics, which stimulate the physiological and biochemical processes in plants. It will foster the adaptation of the technology for growing industrial crops in antibiotic-contaminated soils.