Ectoine, a naturally occurring osmoregulatory compound produced by halophilic microbes, has been of particular interest in recent years for its special cytoprotective effect and broad applications. At first, researchers discovered it in extreme halophilic bacteria, such as Halomonas elongata and the genera bacteria Ectothiorhodospira. In microbes, ectoine enables them to thrive under salinity, heat, and aridity conditions, and it works particularly well as a cell shield.
