New blood free biphasic medium with haemoglobin for cultivation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes.

A simple biphasic growth medium for cultivation of L. donovani promastigotes is described. A successful attempt has been made to replace the blood/serum from regular medium by bovine hemoglobin powder. Medium is easy to prepare within 4 hr. It is simple, reliable inexpensive and autoclavable. Ingredients used in the media preparation are readily available at low cost and components of the medium prepared in large quantities, could be stored at 4 degrees C for month without significantly altering their growth supporting potential. After an inoculation of 1 x 10(5) promastigotes/ml, it was possible to cultivate 1-3 x 10(2) promastigotes/ml from the above described media.