Phytoremediation potential of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) for Ciprofloxacin contaminated soil.

The present study aimed to explore the potential of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) for phytoremediation of soil contaminated with ciprofloxacin. The antibiotic ciprofloxacin was selected due to its rapidly increasing presence in soil. It is widely used in both livestock and human healthcare, making it the most prescribed drug. To address the remediation of ciprofloxacin in soil, a controlled greenhouse study was performed. B. juncea L. germinated seeds were sown in triplicates with ciprofloxacin concentrations of 50 mg kg-1 to 300 mg kg-1 for three weeks. To assess ciprofloxacin uptake by B. juncea L., remediation rates, translocation factor, toxicity indicators like fresh and dry weight, root and shoot length, variations in chlorophyll, carotenoid, flavonoid, proline, phenol and catalase were evaluated. The findings showed that biomass and plant growth were impacted in a dose-dependent manner. Plants with induced ciprofloxacin stress exhibited an overall increase in flavonoid, carotenoid, and chlorophyll concentrations. While phytotoxicity symptoms emerged at higher ciprofloxacin concentrations (200 mg kg-1 and above), the plant still demonstrated a notable remediation potential of 65.71% at 100 mg kg-1. These findings underscore the suitability of Brassica juncea L. for phytoremediation applications.