What substances can animal serum provide?
Commonly used animal sera mainly include bovine serum and horse serum. Bovine serum is divided into fetal bovine serum and calf serum. The former has few sources and high price; the latter requires that newborn calves are not breast-fed, because breast-fed calf serum may contain more complex components. Protein, amino acid, glucose, hormone, etc. are the main components of serum. The proteins are mainly albumin and globulin.
Hydrolyzed milk protein and collagen are two other good natural media ingredients. Hydrolyzed milk protein is the hydrolyzate of lactalbumin, in the form of egg yolk powder, rich in amino acids. Generally formulated as a 0.5% solution, slightly acidic. Collagen is extracted from animal dermis, which can improve the surface properties of cells and promote their attachment and growth.
Amino acids are the basic components of protein synthesis by cells. The 12 amino acids are not synthesized by the cells themselves and must be provided by the culture medium. Hormones include insulin, growth hormone and epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, proliferation stimulating factor and other growth factors (MSA), insulin-like growth factors (IGF1, IGF2), etc.
Experiments have shown that most cells do not require heat-inactivated serum for proper handling. Sera treated with this treatment had only a slight or no effect on cell growth. Even though high temperature treatment affects serum quality, cell growth rate is reduced. Precipitate formation is significantly increased with heat-treated sera. These precipitates are observed under an inverted microscope, such as small black spots, which often make researchers mistakenly believe that the serum is contaminated, and when the serum is placed in an environment at 37°C, this sediment will increase, making researchers mistakenly believe that the serum is contaminated. This is the division and multiplication of microorganisms. There is no need for heat treatment if it is not necessary. It not only saves time, but also guarantees the quality of the serum!
