TABLE 3.
Nomenclature and description of media types including variability and animal welfare benefit potential. Adapted from van der Valk et al. (2010), Karnieli et al. (2017), and Chary et al. (2022).
| Type | Description | Variability | Animal Welfare Benefit Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemically Defined (CD) | All components, their respective chemical structures, and concentrations are known | Low | High |
| Chemically Defined Recombinant (CDR) | Like CD, plus any components originally derived from plants, animals, or humans provided as recombinant | Low | High |
| Chemically Defined Purified (CDP) | Like CD, plus any components derived from plants, animals, or humans are highly purified, characterized, and quantified | Low | High (in the absence of animal-derived components) |
| Low (for animal-derived components) | |||
| Animal-Component-Free (ACF) | Contain no components of animal or human origin | Low (if also CD) | High |
| Protein-Free (PF) | Excludes high molecular weight proteins or protein fractions but may contain peptide fractions (protein hydrolysates) derived from humans, animals, or plants | Low (if also CD) | High (in the absence of animal-derived components) |
| Low (for animal-derived components) | |||
| Serum-Free (SF) | Excludes human or animal serum but may contain discrete proteins or bulk protein fractions-derived from humans, animals, or plants (e.g., human or animal tissue or plant extracts) | Low (if also CD) | High (in the absence of animal-derived components) |
| Low (for animal-derived components) | |||
| Xeno-Free (XF) | Contains animal-derived components only if from the same species as the cells used. May contain components, such as animal- or human-derived growth factors | Low (if also CD) | High (if human-derived) |
| Low (if animal-derived) | |||
| Serum-Based (SB) | Typically contain animal or human sera | High | High (if human-derived) |
| Low (if animal-derived) |