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Antibiotics
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Plant-Based Strategies for the Removal and Degradation of Antibiotics from...
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Plant-Based Strategies for the Removal and Degradation of Antibiotics from the Environment

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 285

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giancarlo Angeles Flores

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pharmacy Department, University of Chieti, Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti 66100, Italy
Interests: medicinal plants and fungi; dermatophytes; microorganisms; human pathogenic fungi and bacteria; antimicrobials; biological assays
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paola Angelini

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Guest Editor
Department of Applied Biology, University of Perugia, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: biodiversity; biological activities; dermatophyte; essential oils; medicinal plants; mushrooms; non-volatile extracts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The widespread presence of antibiotics in the environment, driven by their excessive use in human and veterinary medicine and agriculture, poses a growing risk to ecosystems and contributes to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes (ARGs). Plant-based remediation strategies, including phytoremediation, rhizosphere processes, and plant–microbe interactions, have emerged as promising, sustainable tools to mitigate antibiotic contamination in soil and water.

This Special Issue aims to collect original research and review articles addressing plant-mediated uptake, transformation, and detoxification of antibiotics, as well as the ecological and molecular mechanisms involved. We also welcome contributions focusing on the role of rhizospheric microbial communities in enhancing antibiotic degradation, the long-term effects of phytoremediation on resistance gene propagation, and advanced analytical techniques to track antibiotic fate in plant systems. Together, these insights will support the development of innovative, nature-based solutions to combat antibiotic pollution and protect environmental and public health.

Acknowledgment: Ms. Gaia Cusumano and Dr. Gokhan Zengin will be participating in this Special Issue as specialist advisors. We would like to thank them for their contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Giancarlo Angeles Flores
Dr. Paola Angelini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotics
  • ARGs
  • phytoremediation
  • rhizosphere
  • plant–microbe interactions
  • biodegradation
  • detoxification
  • environmental pollution
  • resistance mitigation
  • sustainable remediation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

25 pages, 650 KB  
Review
Green Solutions to a Growing Problem: Harnessing Plants for Antibiotic Removal from the Environment
by Gaia Cusumano, Giancarlo Angeles Flores, Roberto Venanzoni, Paola Angelini and Gokhan Zengin
Antibiotics 2025, 14(10), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14101031 - 15 Oct 2025
Viewed by 235
Abstract
Environmental dissemination of antibiotics is a pressing global challenge, driving ecological imbalances and the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Conventional treatment technologies often fail to fully eliminate these micropollutants or are cost-prohibitive for widespread use. In this context, phytoremediation—using plants and their [...] Read more.
Environmental dissemination of antibiotics is a pressing global challenge, driving ecological imbalances and the proliferation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Conventional treatment technologies often fail to fully eliminate these micropollutants or are cost-prohibitive for widespread use. In this context, phytoremediation—using plants and their associated microbiota to remove, transform, or immobilize contaminants—has emerged as an effective and promising, low-impact, and nature-based approach for mitigating antibiotic pollution in aquatic and terrestrial environments. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the physiological, biochemical, and ecological mechanisms by which plants interact with antibiotics, including phytoextraction, phytodegradation, rhizodegradation, and phytostabilization. This review prioritizes phytoremediation goals, with attention to high-performing aquatic (e.g., Lemna minor, Eichhornia crassipes, Phragmites australis) and terrestrial plants (e.g., Brassica juncea, Zea mays) and their ability to remediate major classes of antibiotics. This study highlights the role of rhizosphere microbes and engineered systems in phytoremediation, while noting challenges such as variable efficiency, phytotoxicity risks, limited knowledge of by-products, and environmental concerns with antibiotic degradation. Future perspectives include the integration of genetic engineering, microbiome optimization, and smart monitoring technologies to enhance system performance and scalability. Plant-based solutions thus represent a vital component of next-generation remediation strategies aimed at reducing antibiotic burdens in the environment and curbing the rise in antimicrobial resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Based Strategies for the Removal and Degradation of Antibiotics from the Environment)
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