Viability and membrane lipid composition under a 57 mT static magnetic field in Salmonella Hadar

The aim of this work is to demonstrate the effects of a static magnetic field (SMF) with an induction 12 equal to 57 mT on the viability and membrane lipid composition of Salmonella Hadar. Results showed an increase in the viability of exposed bacteria compared to controls after 9 h of exposure. Analysis with gas chromatography of total lipids (TLs) and different fractions of phospholipids: phosphatidylglycerols (PGs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and cardiolipins (CLs), separated by thin layer chromatography revealed changes in fatty acid levels during exposure. For TLs, the unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratio (UFAs/SFAs) had significantly increased after 9 h of exposure. The variation of this ratio seems to be essentially due to the increase of the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids with 18 carbons, in particular C18:1. The analyses of fatty acid composition carried out on the scale of each fraction of phospholipids showed that CLs contributed significantly to the increase of the proportion of the unsaturated fatty acids between 6 and 9 h of exposure thanks to their unsaturated chains with 18 carbons (especially C18:2). CLs appear to be the main phospholipid involved in the adaptation of S. Hadar membranes to the SMF.