Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content

Abstract Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), a widely cultivated leafy green, is valued for its rich content of bioactive compounds, including folates, vitamins, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, and antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of amino acid supplementation on the growth and nutrient c...

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Main Authors: Shumaila Khan, Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Farheen Solangi, Shahid Azeem, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Yasir Niaz, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Abid, Hera Gul, Hongjun Yu, Qiang Li, Jiang Weijie, Muhammad Rizwan, Salim Manoharadas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00294-x
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author Shumaila Khan
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Farheen Solangi
Shahid Azeem
Muhammad Adnan Bodlah
Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer
Yasir Niaz
Muhammad Ashraf
Muhammad Abid
Hera Gul
Hongjun Yu
Qiang Li
Jiang Weijie
Muhammad Rizwan
Salim Manoharadas
author_facet Shumaila Khan
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Farheen Solangi
Shahid Azeem
Muhammad Adnan Bodlah
Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer
Yasir Niaz
Muhammad Ashraf
Muhammad Abid
Hera Gul
Hongjun Yu
Qiang Li
Jiang Weijie
Muhammad Rizwan
Salim Manoharadas
author_sort Shumaila Khan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), a widely cultivated leafy green, is valued for its rich content of bioactive compounds, including folates, vitamins, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, and antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of amino acid supplementation on the growth and nutrient content of hydroponically grown lettuce. A greenhouse experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) was conducted, with three replications and three plants per replication. There were 4 treatments (T0 (Control), T1 (Methionine 20 mg/L), T2 (Tryptophan 220 mg/L, T3 (Glycine 200 mg/L) of this experiment Growth parameters, including biomass, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area, were measured four weeks after transplantation. L-methionine supplementation resulted in a significant improvement in plant growth, with a 23.60% increase in biomass and a 31.41% increase in leaf area. Conversely, L-tryptophan treatment led to substantial reductions in growth, including a 98.78% decrease in biomass. Nutrient analysis revealed that amino acid treatments, especially methionine, enhanced the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content in leaf tissues. These results suggest that L-methionine has a positive effect on both growth and nutrient uptake in hydroponic lettuce, while L-tryptophan and L-glycine negatively affect plant development. The differential responses to amino acid treatments may be attributed to their distinct roles in plant metabolism, with methionine enhancing sulfur-containing compounds and proteins essential for growth, while tryptophan and glycine could disrupt metabolic pathways. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these effects and evaluate the optimal amino acid concentrations for maximizing hydroponic lettuce production and nutrient density.
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spelling doaj-art-2a3c58abf40147dfa70f6ca99df8d5632025-08-20T02:15:02ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-011511910.1038/s41598-025-00294-xImpact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient contentShumaila Khan0Muhammad Zafar Iqbal1Farheen Solangi2Shahid Azeem3Muhammad Adnan Bodlah4Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer5Yasir Niaz6Muhammad Ashraf7Muhammad Abid8Hera Gul9Hongjun Yu10Qiang Li11Jiang Weijie12Muhammad Rizwan13Salim Manoharadas14Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bioresources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural UniversityResearch Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu UniversityClimate Smart Agriculture Accelerator Program (CSAAP) KFUEIT GIZ SARDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information TechnologyDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information TechnologyDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information TechnologyDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information TechnologyAdaptation to Climate Change, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbHDepartment of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture & Environment, The Islamia University of BahawalpurInstitute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)Department of Plant Nutrition, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of BonnDepartment of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud UniversityAbstract Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), a widely cultivated leafy green, is valued for its rich content of bioactive compounds, including folates, vitamins, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, and antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of amino acid supplementation on the growth and nutrient content of hydroponically grown lettuce. A greenhouse experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) was conducted, with three replications and three plants per replication. There were 4 treatments (T0 (Control), T1 (Methionine 20 mg/L), T2 (Tryptophan 220 mg/L, T3 (Glycine 200 mg/L) of this experiment Growth parameters, including biomass, leaf length, leaf width, and leaf area, were measured four weeks after transplantation. L-methionine supplementation resulted in a significant improvement in plant growth, with a 23.60% increase in biomass and a 31.41% increase in leaf area. Conversely, L-tryptophan treatment led to substantial reductions in growth, including a 98.78% decrease in biomass. Nutrient analysis revealed that amino acid treatments, especially methionine, enhanced the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content in leaf tissues. These results suggest that L-methionine has a positive effect on both growth and nutrient uptake in hydroponic lettuce, while L-tryptophan and L-glycine negatively affect plant development. The differential responses to amino acid treatments may be attributed to their distinct roles in plant metabolism, with methionine enhancing sulfur-containing compounds and proteins essential for growth, while tryptophan and glycine could disrupt metabolic pathways. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these effects and evaluate the optimal amino acid concentrations for maximizing hydroponic lettuce production and nutrient density.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00294-xAmino acidsHydroponic lettuceLactuca sativa L.Plant growthNutrient contentAmino acid supplementation
spellingShingle Shumaila Khan
Muhammad Zafar Iqbal
Farheen Solangi
Shahid Azeem
Muhammad Adnan Bodlah
Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer
Yasir Niaz
Muhammad Ashraf
Muhammad Abid
Hera Gul
Hongjun Yu
Qiang Li
Jiang Weijie
Muhammad Rizwan
Salim Manoharadas
Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
Scientific Reports
Amino acids
Hydroponic lettuce
Lactuca sativa L.
Plant growth
Nutrient content
Amino acid supplementation
title Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
title_full Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
title_fullStr Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
title_full_unstemmed Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
title_short Impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and nutrient content
title_sort impact of amino acid supplementation on hydroponic lettuce lactuca sativa l growth and nutrient content
topic Amino acids
Hydroponic lettuce
Lactuca sativa L.
Plant growth
Nutrient content
Amino acid supplementation
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00294-x
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