Effect of sample freezing on the isolation of Mycoplasma spp. from the clitoral fossa of the mare.

The research studied the effect of sample freezing on the growth of microorganisms Mycoplasma equigenitalium and Mycoplasma subdolum collected from the clitoral fossa of mares. It was observed that freezing the specimens in liquid nitrogen did not reduce the growth of these microorganisms, even when stored for up to 30 days.

Research Objective

• The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of freezing on the isolation of Mycoplasma spp, particularly Mycoplasma equigenitalium and Mycoplasma subdolum, from specimens collected from the clitoral fossa of mares.

Methodology

• The research was carried out with specimens collected from the clitoral fossa of four Standardbred mares.
• Parts of these specimens were immediately cultured to observe the growth of the Mycoplasma organisms, serving as the control group.
• Another part of the samples was frozen in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius.
• The frozen specimens were stored for up to 30 days before being cultured to examine the growth of the Mycoplasma organisms.

Findings

• It was observed from this study that the growth of Mycoplasma equigenitalium and Mycoplasma subdolum was not impacted by the freezing process.
• The organisms’ growth in the samples frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen for up to 30 days was found to be comparable to that in the samples cultured immediately.
• This indicates that sample freezing does not reduce the presence or inhibit the growth of these microorganisms, making it a plausible method for preserving such samples for future research.

Implications

• The findings of this research have crucial implications for studying Mycoplasma organisms. The results indicate that samples can be frozen and stored for extended periods without fear of losing viable Mycoplasma organisms.
• This preservation method can greatly facilitate future Mycoplasma research, allowing scientists to study these organisms’ characteristics, growth, and behavior over an extended period.
• It also provides a useful guideline for sample preservation which ensures that scientists do not have to restrict their research due to immediate time constraints around sample culturing.