MethoCult™ M3434 Methylcellulose-Based Medium (Mouse) | STEMCELL Technologies (2023)

FAQs

What is MethoCult? ›

MethoCult™ H4434 Classic (MethoCult™ GF H4434) is a complete methylcellulose-based medium for the growth and enumeration of hematopoietic progenitor cells in colony-forming unit (CFU) assays of human bone marrow, mobilized peripheral blood, peripheral blood, and cord blood samples.

Methylcellulose medium is a type of semi-solid medium that can be used for culturing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in colony-forming assays, or culturing hybridomas and Chinese hamster ovarian cells for cell line development.

The CFU assay is a hematopoietic functional assay, which is often used to measure the function or potency of hematopoietic progenitors present in stem cell products.

Unlike other naturally derived binders, methylcellulose is allergen-free. It's also gluten-free, non-toxic, flavorless, colorless, and odorless, making it an excellent gelling agent for various foods. Most methylcellulose will pass through the body undigested.

There's no evidence that daily use of fiber supplements — such as psyllium (Metamucil, Konsyl, others) or methylcellulose (Citrucel) — is harmful. Fiber has a number of health benefits, including normalizing bowel function and preventing constipation.

Although methylcellulose comes from the cellulose of plants and vegetables, its development process isn't entirely natural; it's a synthetically made compound with a complex and refined method. Like regular cellulose, methylcellulose isn't digestible because we lack cellulase, the necessary enzyme for digesting it.

Oftentimes, the higher the CFUs per serving, the higher the price because the belief is that the higher the CFU count, the better. This is NOT correct! Potency isn't just a number. When choosing a probiotic supplement, there's more to consider than just the number of CFUs per serving.

Thus, for individuals in relatively good health, a daily dose of 10-20 billion CFU is likely sufficient for supporting everyday immune and digestive support.

Heterotrophic plate count levels in potable water should be <500 CFU/mL. These levels may increase on occasion, but counts consistently >500 CFU/mL would indicate a general decrease in water quality.

This medication is used to treat constipation. It increases the bulk in your stool, an effect that helps to cause movement of the intestines. It also works by increasing the amount of water in the stool, making the stool softer and easier to pass.

Is methylcellulose a carcinogen? ›

Methylcellulose is the active ingredient in many laxatives, but animal studies indicate that the additive may promote colorectal cancer at levels typically present in processed foods.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, methylcellulose is approved by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union as safe for human consumption and has no specified limitations regarding use, as there are no observed adverse effects when consumed in moderation.

Methyl cellulose is made from natural cellulose with white to milk-white colour. It is a tasteless powder (Fig. 8.32). It has multiple functions such as film-forming, emulsifiability, adhesive property and thickening property and is widely used in baked goods, fried foods, desserts, candies and soups as food additives.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is added to dietary supplements as a regulator and thickener to regulate the consistency of the product. Pharma Nord's hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is non-GMO. It is made synthetically and is guaranteed free of, for example, wheat, corn and soy as well as derivatives there of.

With the unique functionality of methylcellulose, no egg or other animal-based ingredient needs to be added to the finished product. In addition to being vegan, one can also create both an egg-free and allergen-free food with the best bite.

Methyl Cellulose is dairy free. Methyl Cellulose does not contain milk and should be safe for those with a milk allergy. Fig's dietitian team reviewed this note on methyl cellulose.

Dietary cellulose induces anti-inflammatory immunity and transcriptional programs via maturation of the intestinal microbiota - PMC.

Methylcellulose is available over-the-counter (OTC) and as a generic. Methylcellulose is available under the following different brand names: Citrucel.

The probiotic strain in Culturelle^® - Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG^®) – is the #1 most clinically studied strain of probiotic. Considered the premier probiotic in the world, over 1,000 scientific studies and over 30 years of research have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG^®).

Is 80 billion CFU too much? ›

Probiotic doses are measured by colony-forming units (CFUs), and they range from 1 billion to 100 billion CFUs. Perlmutter considers 100 billion to be the highest daily dosage anybody needs to take — and most people need much less than that.

Many healthy adults can safely take upwards up 30-50 billion CFU if they have a reason or desire to. Interestingly, a study published in the journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2015 showed that between 10 – 20 Billion CFU is all that is really needed.

Although probiotics are generally safe to use, findings of a review from 2017 suggest that children and adults with severe illnesses or compromised immune systems should avoid using probiotics. Some people with these conditions have experienced bacterial or fungal infections as a result of probiotic use.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that adults consume between 10 and 20 billion CFUs per day. This is for someone who wants to support balance in their digestive tract. A person experiencing specific gastrointestinal issues may need more as directed by a physician.

The diagnosis of catheter-associated urinary tract infection can be made when the urine culture shows 100 or more CFU per mL of urine from a catheterized patient.

Taking too many probiotics can cause mild discomfort

Taking more than a usual dose — 1 to 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs) — of probiotics doesn't necessarily mean better results and, instead, might provoke some mildly uncomfortable side effects.

Women are generally advised to look for a probiotic supplement that contains at least 20-50 billion colony forming units (CFUs) of bacteria. However, in the early stages, a minimum of 1 billion CFUs may be consumed. A wide range of women-specific formulations includes additional ingredients to promote overall health.

Examples of semi-solid media are: Hugh and Leifson's oxidation fermentation medium, Stuart's and Amies media, and Mannitol motility media. Liquid media: These media do not contain any traces of solidifying agents, such as agar or gelatin, and large growth of bacterial colonies can be observed in the media.

Solid medium contains 1.5 to 2.0 % solidification agent while semi-solid medium contain 0.2 to 0.5 % solidifying agent. When poured into plates, solid medium solidifies and provides a solid surface to grow microorganisms. Semi-solid medium is soft, and it doesn't solidify completely as solid media.

With the unique functionality of methylcellulose, no egg or other animal-based ingredient needs to be added to the finished product. In addition to being vegan, one can also create both an egg-free and allergen-free food with the best bite.

How do you make semi-solid agar medium? ›

Suspend 12 g in 1000 ml distilled water. Heat to boiling to dissolve the medium completely. Dispense in tubes. Sterilize by autoclaving at 15 lbs pressure (121°C) for 15 minutes.

Semisolid media are prepared with lower agar concentrations of 0.2 to 0.5%. They have a soft, custard-like consistency and are used to cultivate microaerophilic bacteria or determine bacterial motility by cultivation in stab tubes. Semisolid media can be used to distinguish between typhoid and colon bacilli.

The advantage of solid media (tubed or in plates) is that they enable the detection of mixed cultures and contaminants. Egg-based and agar-based media may be used. The main advantage of an egg-based medium is that it best supports the growth of M. tuberculosis and permits niacin testing.

Solid media is characterized by agar and other solidifying agents, while liquid media contains specific nutrients but has no gelling agents. Some of the advantages of liquid media include; Liquid media offers a uniform culture condition for the growth of bacteria.

Answer: Disadvantages of liquid culture- Bacteria that grow in liquid media may not have specific characteristics. Difficult to isolate different types of bacteria from mixed populations. Bacteria grow diffusely in liquids they produce discrete visible growth in solid media.

Thermal death time is how long it takes to kill a specific bacterium at a specific temperature. It was originally developed for food canning and has found applications in cosmetics, producing salmonella-free feeds for animals (e.g. poultry) and pharmaceuticals.

The methylcellulose conundrum

Used by high-profile brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, methylcellulose, or E461, provides attractive gelling and emulsifying properties that boost juiciness and hold plant-based burgers together as they cook.

The key difference between solid and liquid media is that solid media contain agar while liquid media do not contain agar. That is, agar is a solidification agent in growth media, and solid media contain a solidifying agent while liquid media lack a solidifying agent.

Synthetic media are media that are partially or fully generated by computers. Non-synthetic media can be any other media, i.e., media that is produced by human input. Take a newspaper article, for instance. Written entirely by a human, it clearly falls under non-synthetic media.

What is the purpose of agar in a solid medium? ›

The addition of agar-agar (a complex carbohydrate extracted from seaweed) results in a solid medium. Agar is an ideal solidifying agent for microbiological media because of its melting properties and because it has no nutritive value for the vast majority of bacteria.