Response of ginger growth to a tetracycline-contaminated environment and residues of antibiotic and antibiotic resistance genes

The presence of antibiotic residues in vegetables has been highlighted as a risk to human health; antibiotics not only cause toxic effects to plants but can also induce antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) expression. Using a soil-free approach, this study aimed to explore the response of ginger growth to tetracycline (TC) pollution and to assess the levels of antibiotic residues in different plant organs and the presence of ARGs in the rhizome. Ginger growth in a highly TC-contaminated environment was remarkably inhibited. Photosynthetic parameters, fluorescence parameters, and some physiological indicators (oxidative substances, photosynthetic pigments, enzyme activity, etc.) were negatively influenced by TC contamination. Although the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activity levels significantly increased, their effects appear to be limited. The accumulation of TC in the rhizome (28.1 mg kg