%0 Journal Article %A Lion, M. B. %A Bergmann, E. D. %T Substances which Protect Lyophilized Escherichia coli against the Lethal Effect of Oxygen %D 1961 %J Microbiology, %V 25 %N 2 %P 291-296 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-25-2-291 %I Microbiology Society, %X SUMMARY: The lethal effect of oxygen on Escherichia coli organisms freeze-dried from water may be partly abolished by the addition of certain compounds before lyophilization. Three groups of such protective compounds were found: (i) thiourea, some of its derivatives and analogues; (ii) sugars, especially monosaccharides and some of their derivatives; (iii) some simple inorganic salts. The protective action was not unequivocally correlated with reducing power. Certain reducing agents (e.g. sodium dithionite, cysteine, reduced glutathione) even enhanced the lethal effects of oxygen. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-25-2-291