BSK-H Medium without L-Glutamine Bioconcept 1-10S03-I

BSK-H medium is a high quality nutrient liquid for the reliable cultivation of Borrelia spec. BSK-H medium is a quite complex formulation with an extraordinary high content of proteins and peptides. It is especially rich in nucleosides, glucose as energy source and contains high concentrations of vitamins. The medium contains N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine which is an essential element of the bacterial peptidoglycan.

Only selected reagents of highest quality are used for the production of BSK-H medium. A special galenic as well as a gentle and controlled process guarantee a product of highest quality with reliable lot to lot constancy, stability, purity and reliable cell growth. A sufficient high amount of HEPES guarantees a stable buffer capacity for a long time. The concentration of CO2 as well as the pH value have to be controlled carefully, because in some cases, due to metabolisation of glucose in long-term cultures, lactic acid accumulation occurs, which may result in a reduction of the pH-value of more than 1 pH unit. At room temperature the pH value is 7.6±0.2 at an osmolality of 420±20 mOsm/kg H2 O.

The ready-to-use medium has to be supplemented with 3–8% rabbit serum prior to inoculation. Storage temperature and stability are according to lot-specific label. BSK-H medium can be widely used for the cultivation of spirochetes, especially for B. burgdorferi and B. hermsii. Only small amounts of organisms are sufficient for the inoculation. However, the values found in the literature, as well as personal communications are varying too much, so that no general recommendation for the inoculum number can be given. The generation time lies between 11 and 18 hours, so that in 7 to 9 days 0.5–4.0×108 cells/ml can be obtained. The optimal incubation temperature lies between 30°C and 37°C.