Oxytetracycline on functions and structure of soil microbial community

Abstract

Effects of oxytetracycline (OTC) on soil enzyme activity and structural diversity of soil microbial communities were investigated. The low and moderate OTC inputs of less than 15 mg/kg enhanced microbial growth and increased the total and bacterial and fungal biomasses in the receiving soils. The antibiotic toxicity of OTC although targeted the bacteria in the soils proportionally resulted in greater harmed against the soil fungi than the bacteria and the Gram-negative bacteria fared signifcantly better than the Gram-positive bacteria. Collectively, the high OTC inputs lowered of soil enzymatic activities and the low and moderate OTC inputs did not have any adverse impact on the soil enzyme activities.