I need to use agar blood medium for a lab experiment, but unfortunately, in the city where I live there is a deficiency in some kinds of animal blood such as sheep, horse blood and it will be so difficult to get it. So, anyone knows other alternatives for those animal blood types to do agar blood base medium?
Thanks in advance,
Hi Abdelaziz, usually Blood Agar is mainly use to demonstrate the hemolysis patterns of the bacterial strain(s) you are working with. In this regard, still the sheep blood agar is the best choice, as sheep blood is not inhibitory, usually all of the bacteria can grow on it with ease and hemolysis is very well observed because sheep RBCs are more fragile than other animal species.
Also, these days commercially-prepared sheep blood agar is available quite easily and it is cost effective as well. But, if you will collect blood yourself from a sheep so it must be defibrinated (citrated) first only then you can use it. Horse blood is an another alternative, which is quite rich in X & V factors than the sheep blood, but is difficult to get as compared to sheep. Human blood we cannot use at all due to the presence of various inhibitors, antibodies, complement components, may be some antibiotics the person is on and a very big potential risk due to the presence of any blood-borne bacterial or viral pathogens in that blood you are consuming to make the blood agar.
Sincerely....
Thanks for your kind help, please let me ask you if it acceptable to use sheep blood powder or must be in liquid status (difibrinated blood)? Thanks in advance Jawwad Ahmad
Yeah, i will use it in the preparation of bacterial growth medium. Thank you, really i appreciate @Jai Ghosh
Dear Abdelaziz Mansour ,
If sheep blood not available you can use any blood, also use anticoagulant with blood container to avoid clotting and be sure the anticoagulant did not react with your working chemicals.
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