The Influence of Two Lithium Forms on the Growth, l-Ascorbic Acid Content and Lithium Accumulation in Lettuce Plants

Lithium (Li) is a trace element that is essential in the human diet due to its importance for health and proper functioning of an organism. However, the biological activity of this metal in crop plants, which are the primary dietary sources of Li, is still poorly understood. The aim of the presented study was to comparatively analyse two Li chemical forms on the growth, as well as the l-ascorbic acid content, the Li accumulation and translocation in butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata) cv. Justyna. The plants were grown in a nutrient solution enriched with Li in the form of LiCl or LiOH at the following concentrations: 0, 2.5, 20, 50 or 100 mg Li dm−3. The obtained results indicate that the presence of Li+ ions in the root environment reduced the yield of edible parts of the lettuce if the Li concentration in a nutrient solution had reached 20 mg Li dm−3. However, a yield reduction under these conditions was found to be significant only for LiOH. In plants exposed to 50 mg Li dm−3, both shoot and root fresh weights (FW) significantly decreased, regardless of the supplied Li chemical form. On the other hand, under the lowest LiOH dose, a significant increase in the root FW was noted, suggesting beneficial effects of Li on the growth of lettuce plants. However, applied Li concentrations and forms did not affect the l-ascorbic acid content in the lettuce leaves. Regardless of which Li form was used, Li accumulated mainly in the root tissues. An exception was the higher concentration of this metal in the shoots than in the roots of plants supplied with 100 mg Li dm−3 in LiCl, and there were almost the same Li concentrations in both examined organs of plants supplied with 100 mg Li dm−3 in LiOH. The effectiveness of Li translocation from roots to shoots rose with increasing Li concentrations in the growth medium, and this suggests a relatively ready translocation of this metal throughout the plant. Moreover, these results suggest that Li toxicity in lettuce plants is related to a high accumulation of this element in the root and shoot tissues, causing a drastic reduction in the yield, in the presence either of LiCl or LiOH, but not affecting the l-ascorbic acid accumulation in the leaves.