Lithium-based antioxidants: electrochemical properties and influence on immune cells

Lithium salts are known as effective psychotropic medicine for treatment bipolar disorder and may be used to treat alcoholism, schizoaffective disorders, and cluster headaches. The antioxidant activity and immunomodulatory effects of prospective lithium compounds have been investigated in this work. The antioxidant properties were studied by the voltammetry method. Influence of the lithium compounds on the immune cells of human blood were determined by measuring phagocytic activity of leucocytes and by the rate of blastic transformation of lymphocytes. Relatively better antioxidant and immunotropic properties have been revealed for lithium ascorbate, compare to widely used drug-lithium carbonate. Lithium aspartate revealed antioxidant activity, as well. Studied lithium salts can be considered as prospective psychotropic antioxidant with immunomodulatory effects. The combination of these properties significantly extends the potential medical applications of lithium salts.