title: Evaluation of a serum-free transport medium supplemented with cyanobacterial extract, for the optimal survival of Helicobacter pylori from biopsy samples and strains.
abstract: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the use of an alternative transport medium supplemented with a cyanobacterial extract (CE), free of animal derivatives, to preserve the viability of Helicobacter pylori strains during long-term transportation and allow its recovery from biopsy samples. The transport media evaluated were Mueller-Hinton broth 0.3% agar (MH) and 0.3% of CE (MH-CE). MH broth 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) was used as the reference medium (MH-FCS). Biopsy samples from 134 patients, H. pylori NCTC 11638 and six clinical isolates were studied. A higher recovery (p ≤ 0.001) at 4°C was obtained in MH-CE than in MH-FCS after 96 h of storage. Only MH-CE allowed recovery after 120 h. The H. pylori recovery at room temperature after 96 h was higher (p ≤ 0.005) in MH-CE than in MH-FCS. Similar survival rates were observed in biopsy samples conserved in MH-CE and MH-FCS at 4°C. The recovery after 48 h at room temperature in MH-CE was higher (p ≤ 0.05) than MH-FCS and was the only medium allowing recovery after 72 h. The MH-CE medium is a simple, inexpensive and animal derivatives-free transport medium that can be used to preserve H. pylori viability and its recovery from biopsy samples.
authors.affiliation: Área Microbiología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Bloque I, Primer Piso, Avda. Ejército de los Andes 950, 5700 San Luis, Argentina.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: T I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Cortiñas
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free / Q000737:chemistry*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000737:chemistry; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology*; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free