Adult Bovine Serum (ABS) is collected from cattle older than 12 months, usually at slaughter or from donor cows under controlled hygienic conditions. It is separated from blood via mechanical defibrination and stored frozen until use. ABS is used as a supplement in cell culture media similarly to the more common Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), but it is less expensive.

Studies show that ABS can support cell growth and proliferation but generally requires a higher concentration than FBS to achieve comparable cell production. For instance, culturing BHK-21 cells in ABS-containing medium requires about 1.5 times more serum volume than FBS to achieve similar cell proliferation. The addition of specific protein extracts can synergistically enhance cell growth in ABS media.

Applications and Performance

One notable application of ABS was demonstrated in culturing Helicobacter pylori, where heat-treated adult bovine serum showed useful growth-supporting properties at a lower cost than FBS. The serum's bactericidal activity against H. pylori was inactivated by heat treatment, improving its suitability for culture media.

ABS also contains distinct serum factors that can regulate the differentiation of adipogenic precursor cells, differing from FBS in lipid, protein, and hormone content. These differences make ABS uniquely influential in certain cell differentiation processes.

Comparison to Fetal Bovine Serum

Compared to FBS, adult bovine serum has higher antibody levels and generally lower concentrations of growth factors, which affects its performance in supporting cell growth. Research into replacing FBS with adult serum or serum-free media is ongoing but challenging, as FBS contains a complex mixture of growth factors, hormones, and nutrients essential for many cell culture applications.

In summary, adult bovine serum serves as a cost-effective alternative to fetal bovine serum for cell culture, with some limitations in growth support that can be addressed by additives or higher concentrations. It is used in various research and industrial contexts, including bacterial culture and mammalian cell culture, with ongoing research into its components and applications.