Milk of cow (Bos taurus), buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), and goat (Capra hircus): a better alternative than fetal bovine serum in media for primary isolation, in vitro cultivation, and maintenance of Leishmania donovani promastigotes

Abstract

Tyndalized milk of goat, cow, and buffalo was found to be a potential substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the medium for the cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes. The numbers (means) of promastigotes reached 2.6 x 10(7), 2.3 x 10(7), and 2.1 x 10(7)/ml, respectively, in the medium supplemented with 10% milk of goat, cow, and buffalo, in comparison to 1.9 x 10(7)/ml in the control with 10% FBS. In primary isolation, the milk-supplemented medium showed that 22 out of 26 samples were positive for promastigotes (84.6%) and the cells were maintained successfully during the observed period of 6 months.

FIG. 1.

Comparative analysis of growth kinetics of Leishmania donovani promastigotes in medium 199 (black circles), medium 199 with FBS (white circles), and medium 199 with 10% milk of goat (white squares), cow (white triangles), and buffalo (black squares). C, control.

FIG. 2.

Maintenance of Leishmania donovani promastigotes in media supplemented with FBS and milk of cow, buffalo, and goat. C, control.