New cultivation media for the growth, isolation and morphogenetic identification of Balantidium coli in Iraq Available to Purchase

This study was conducted to isolate and genetically identify the Balantidium coli parasite from pig stool and also to evaluate its growth onto four new plant extracts. Roots and leaves of Rhaphanus sativus plant, flowers of Brassica oleracea plant, and bulbs of Allium sativum plant were used for the first time in Iraq as local alternatives to the imported cultivation media, which are known for the growth of parasites. Molecular methods were used for all collected stool samples and then repeated for samples that were succeeded by cultivated methods. The results showed high efficiency in parasite development on the four media and the parasite stage numbers were also varied depending on the type of extracts. The highest rate of parasite numbers was 2450 / ml on the medium of Brassica oleracea extract, while the lowest was 1900 / ml on the medium of Rhaphanus sativus leaves during the four days of incubation in comparison to the parasite numbers on the water agar as a control factor. The percentage of sulfur and organic carbon were also measured for the four extracts and the difference in proportions was compared separately. Flowers of Brassica oleracea plant extract medium was the most efficient medium in improving the growth of B. coli and increasing the number of parasites with a high purity among the four types of experimental cultivation media. The PCR protocol was successfully established and optimized in detecting the B. coli parasite both in the collected pig feces and in culture media.