Table 2.

Effects of different culture media on the growth of schistosomula

Culture Media	Shape and appearance of NTS	Motility of NTS	Duration/Viability of NTS
Basch Medium 169	Parasites (NTS) appear robust and uniform	High dynamic motility	Keeps parasites alive up to one week’s incubation. Worms survive more with 10% mortality for up to 4 weeks
DMEM	Parasites (NTS) appear distorted including rounding and darkening	Slowed and less dynamic motility	Keeps parasites alive up to 144 h When the culture media is appropriately supplemented schistosomula can be grown for at least two months
Medium 199	Generate different degrees of distorted parasites (NTS) including rounding and darkening	Slowed and less dynamic motility	Supplemented Medium 199 keeps the parasites alive up to 120 h with an average viability value of about 2.5
RPMI 1640	Parasites (NTS) rounding	Slowed and less dynamic motility	Parasites degeneration and average death of 40 to 60% within 3 days with continued mortality up to two weeks When the culture media is appropriately supplemented schistosomula can be grown for at least two months

NTS newly transformed schistosomula, DMEM Dulbecco’s modified eagle’s medium, RPMI Roswell Park Memorial Institute