Lithium content of some common edible wild-growing mushrooms

Abstract

Occurrence, content and biological role(s) of lithium in plant-, animal- and human tissues are partly understood, but information about Li levels of fungi (macrofungi) is practically absent. 171 samples of 38 common, edible wild mushroom species, originating from different localities in Hungary, were analysed. 44 samples had undetectable and 127 detectable (i.e. higher than 0.03 ppm) lithium concentrations. The average Li level of all analysed sporocarp samples was 0.189 ppm, which is below the upper limit (0.2 ppm) for plant lithium content in Hungary. The highest, average Li contents were found in Craterellus cornucopioides (0.609 ppm), Amanita strobiliformis (0.520 ppm) and Psathyrella candolleana (0.390 ppm). However, these species are not members of the so-called “bioaccumulator” fungi (their concentrations are only two–three fold higher than the average).The mushrooms samples, collected from habitats of Mt. Vértes (in middle-Hungary), have significantly higher Li contents than mushrooms originating from other localities. Lithium contents of edible mushrooms of the three important types (saprotrophic, mycorrhizal and wood-destroying ones) do not differ significantly (although the wood-destroying group has the lowest average content).According to our data and calculations, a daily consumption of 100 g fresh mushroom can give only 1–6 μg Li intake per person. This is less than 1% of the human daily Li requirement.