Effects of fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D₃ and E) on axenically in vitro growth ofHymenolepis microstoma

Summary

Hymenolepis microstoma has been cultured in vitro from 4 days to 11 days of age using Eagle's medium supplemented with horse serum, lamb liver extract and a vitamin A, D₃ and E mixture in six different concentrations [0.025%, 0.050%, 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% in the BME (=Eagle's medium)] including a control without the added vitamin mixture.

The experiments have shown that growth is inversely related to the concentration of vitamin mixture. In the 2% and 1% concentration of the added vitamin mixture worms show degenerative changes within 24h and 120 h respectively. Although at a concentration of 0.5% of this mixture worms continue to grow until day 11, organogenesis and distribution of calcareous corpuscles in them are severely affected. Worms grown in media containing the lowest three concentrations of the vitamin mixture and in the control medium do not showmarked differences in organogenesis and distribution of calcareous corpuscles. The concentration of neutral lipids in the scolex and parenchyma of worms increases with the increasing concentration of the added vitamin mixture.

It is felt that until the culture medium is more defined the requirement of individual fat soluble vitamin is difficult to assess since the control medium used in the experiment probably contained the required amount of these vitamins from the additives — chemical or natural.