Charcoal/Dextran-Treated Fetal Bovine Serum£¬IC-1911

Product Overview

Product Name: Charcoal/Dextran-Treated Fetal Bovine Serum

Catalog Number: IC-1911

Brand: InCellGen

Description

Charcoal/Dextran-Treated Fetal Bovine Serum is a specialized FBS processed to remove most steroid hormones (such as estrogens, progesterone, cortisol) and certain growth factors. This treatment provides a "cleaner" background with minimal interference for cell culture experiments involving steroid hormone signaling pathway research.

Intended Use & Applications

This serum is primarily used in cell culture research where interference from endogenous steroid hormones must be eliminated. Common applications include:

1 Endocrinology Research: Studying the effects of estrogens, androgens, progesterone, etc., on cell proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression.

2 Reproductive Biology: Culturing hormone-sensitive cell lines (e.g., breast cancer cells MCF-7, prostate cancer cells LNCaP).

3 Signal Transduction Studies: Analyzing steroid hormone receptor signaling pathways without activation by background serum hormones.

4 Specific Gene Expression Analysis: Allows for more accurate assessment of the effects of exogenously added hormones when studying hormone-responsive genes.

5 Drug Screening: Screening for agonists or antagonists targeting hormone receptors.

Preparation Method

This product is typically prepared using the Charcoal-Dextran method:

1. Raw Material: Strictly selected, standard-grade Fetal Bovine Serum with low endotoxin levels.

2. Adsorbent Preparation: High-purity charcoal powder is mixed with dextran polymers. Dextran acts as a dispersing agent to increase the surface area and adsorption efficiency of the charcoal.

3.Adsorption Process: The charcoal-dextran suspension is mixed with FBS under specific conditions (e.g., 4¡ãC or 37¡ãC) with slow agitation for a defined period.

4.Adsorbent Removal: Charcoal particles are thoroughly removed from the serum through multiple steps of filtration (e.g., 0.1µm membrane) and high-speed centrifugation, ensuring a clear and sterile final product.

5.Sterile Filtration & Packaging: Finally, the serum is aseptically filtered through a 0.1µm filter and packaged under sterile conditions.

Product Characteristics & Quality Control

Hormone Removal Efficiency:

-Estradiol removal: Typically > 99%

-Progesterone removal: Typically > 99%

-Thyroid Hormones (T3/T4) removal: Typically > 95%

-Cortisol removal: Typically > 99%

-Note: Please refer to the specific Certificate of Analysis for each batch for precise values.

Nutrient Retention:

-The stripping process inevitably removes some lipophilic or loosely protein-bound nutrients, hormones, and growth factors.

-It retains most components crucial for cell growth, such as amino acids, glucose, inorganic salts, attachment factors, and some growth factors.

-Important Note: Its ability to support cell growth may be slightly reduced compared to standard FBS. Optimization of culture conditions may be necessary for some fastidious or slow-growing cell lines.

Physicochemical Properties:

-Appearance: Clear, light yellow to amber liquid, free of precipitates.

-Endotoxin: Typically ¡Ü 10 EU/mL (refer to CoA).

-Hemoglobin: Typically ¡Ü 20 mg/dL.

-Total Protein: Typically within the range of 30-45 mg/mL.

Usage Instructions

1.  Storage: Store frozen at -10¡ãC to -40¡ãC. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. After thawing, store at 2-8¡ãC and use promptly.

2.  Thawing: Thaw slowly at 2-8¡ãC in a refrigerator (approx. 12-24 hours) or rapidly in a room-temperature water bath. Gently mix the serum during and after thawing to ensure homogeneity.

3.  Heat Inactivation: Heat inactivation is generally not recommended. This process can cause protein precipitation and may alter the serum''''s properties, with potentially more complex effects on a specially treated serum. Use directly unless specifically required by your experiment.

4.  Usage Concentration: Similar to standard FBS, common working concentrations are 5% - 20%. Optimization based on the specific cell type and experimental requirements is recommended.

Precautions

1.Performance Verification: It is strongly recommended to perform a cell culture test with your specific cell line to confirm the serum''''s performance before starting critical experiments.

2.Avoid Contamination: All handling should be performed under aseptic conditions. Thawed serum should be aliquoted for use to minimize contamination risk.

3.Batch Variation: While under strict quality control, biological products have inherent batch-to-batch variations. It is recommended to purchase sufficient quantity from the same batch for a single research project.

4.Incomplete Supplementation: This serum is stripped of multiple hormones and may not be suitable for all cell types. If your cell line critically depends on the removed factors, additional supplementation or another serum type may be required.

Ordering Information

Disclaimer: This product is for research use only. Not for use in human or diagnostic procedures. The user should determine the suitability of this product for their specific application and under their specific conditions. The manufacturer is not liable for any damages resulting from improper use of the product.

Technical Support: For any technical questions, please contact our Technical Support department or your local distributor.