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. 2024 Aug 22;19(8):e0307548.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307548. eCollection 2024.

Divergent effects of azithromycin on purple corn (Zea mays L.) cultivation: Impact on biomass and antioxidant compounds

Yoselin Mamani Ramos  1   2 , Nils Leander Huamán Castilla  3   4 , Elvis Jack Colque Ayma  2 , Noemi Mamani Condori  1   2 , Clara Nely Campos Quiróz  2 , Franz Zirena Vilca  1   2
Affiliations

Divergent effects of azithromycin on purple corn (Zea mays L.) cultivation: Impact on biomass and antioxidant compounds

Yoselin Mamani Ramos et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The present study assessed the impact of using irrigation water contaminated with Azithromycin (AZM) residues on the biomass and antioxidant compounds of purple corn; for this purpose, the plants were cultivated under ambient conditions, and the substrate used consisted of soil free from AZM residues, mixed with compost in a ratio of 1:1 (v/v). The experiment was completely randomized with four replications, with treatments of 0, 1, 10, and 100 μg/L of AZM. The results indicate that the presence of AZM in irrigation water at doses of 1 and 10 μg/L increases the weight of dry aboveground biomass, while at an amount of 100 μg/L, it decreases. Likewise, this study reveals that by increasing the concentration of AZM from 1 to 10 μg/L, total polyphenols and monomeric anthocyanins double, in contrast, with an increase to 100 μg/L, these decrease by 44 and 53%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that purple corn exposed to the antibiotic AZM at low doses has a notable antioxidant function in terms of DPPH and ORAC. The content of flavonols, phenolic acids, and flavanols increases by 57, 28, and 83%, respectively, when the AZM concentration is from 1 to 10 μg/L. However, with an increase to 100 μg/L, these compounds decrease by 17, 40, and 42%, respectively. On the other hand, stem length, root length, and dry weight of root biomass are not significantly affected by the presence of AZM in irrigation water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Behavior of total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity in the cob of purple corn exposed to azithromycin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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