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The presence of arsenic in irrigation water and its accumulation in agricultural soil increases in areas with intensive farming and negatively affects the health and economy of the producers. Plants absorb arsenic in the form of arsenate and can translocate it to the seeds; thus, we can find arsenate in the flour of species like wheat (Triticum durum). The plant cellular mechanisms do not differentiate phosphorous from arsenic due to the similarity between them; this generates metabolic disorders that restrict the plant development and its physiological performance from its first phenological stages, and can even limit the productive plot establishment. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological modifications and antioxidant components due to arsenate in wheat seedlings. We hypothesized that the response depends on the concentration of arsenate and the tolerance of the varieties. In the Bárcenas and Cortázar varieties seedlings, we evaluated concentrations of arsenate (100, 200, 500, and 700 mg L-1) and distilled water, using a randomized complete block experimental design. We considered each variety as a block and the treatments corresponded to the block combinations with the concentrations of arsenate and the control, with five repetitions per germination test. The Bárcenas seedlings were the most vigorous and presented the highest antioxidant activity, and with high concentrations of arsenate they synthesize greater concentrations of proline and phenolic compounds. With this variety, it could be possible to obtain tolerant lines that allow the cultivation of wheat plants in high concentrations of arsenic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]