Influence of Lithium Salt on Escherichia coli Growth and Viability

One of the promising current directions in biotechnology is the development of new microbiology cytoprotectors, which protect microorganisms against stressful environment conditions that finally allow maximizing yield of a target product. In this work, for the first time, the biological effect of organic lithium salts on Escherichia coli has been investigated and their use as promising agents for biotechnology is proposed. Research into the biological activity of inorganic lithium salts on prokaryotic cells has indicated that lithium cations may have a wide range of different effects, making them a promising nutrient supplement for biotechnology. However, there has been little research into the effects of organic lithium salts with antioxidant properties on microorganisms. Our pilot studies showed a protective effect on bacteria E. coli of some lithium salts in depleted environment. We revealed a stimulating effect on bacterial growth of lithium pyruvate and lithium succinate during cultivation of bacteria in different media.