The effectiveness of different culture media on the growth and proliferation of Acanthamoeba T4 genotype

Acanthamoeba spp. is one of the free-living amoebas in the environment that many studies focused on. This parasite is of veterinary and public health importance. The present study aimed to evaluate several available media for Acanthamoeba spp. culture to find a suitable axenic liquid medium. In the present study four culture media, including TYM, RPMI-1640, and hydatid cyst fluid (HCF) as well as non-nutrient agar (NNA) as the control group, were examined to evaluate the proliferation of Acanthamoeba T4 genotype at 24, 48, and 72 h. Based on our results, at 24 and 48 h, the highest number of cysts was observed in TYM medium and the lowest in NNA medium. Moreover, at 72 h, the highest and lowest number of cysts was detected in the HCF and NNA media, respectively. In the present study, the best medium for proliferation of the parasite in the short term was TYM. Furthermore, the parasite proliferated continuously in a considerable number in HCF medium, and this medium can be used if continuative examinations are needed on the parasite.