Evaluation of Different In-vitro Culture Media for Cultivation of Leishmania Parasites

Abstract

This study was held in the Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum during the period from January 2007 to December 2007. The study compared between horse blood and rabbit blood as main constituent of Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) culture media in addition to the use of Lowestein Jensen (LJ) media for cultivation of Leishmania parasite. The parasite was inoculated in tubes contained different concentrations of horse blood (5%, 10% and 20%) and other tubes contained rabbit blood with a concentration of 10%, also the parasite was inoculated in LJ media. All the tubes were incubated for 48 hours at 23 ºC. Parasites were then counted every 48 hours. This study indicated that Leishmania parasite showed the growth rate in the NNN media which contains horse blood (especially 10%) and rabbit blood. The rabbit blood showed better growth than horse blood. There was no growth in the LJ medium