Erin Horton, Dixie State University
Health
OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA: RED BLOOD CELL VIABILITY AND AGGLUTINATION PROPERTIES
Opuntia Ficus Indica (OFI), polyethelene glycol (PeG), and ficin have all demonstrated agglutination of red blood cells. OFI is found all over the world and has a high carbohydrate content possibly facilitating agglutination of red blood cells. PeG is a low ionic strength medium with the ability to concentrate antibody in a test mixture facilitating agglutination of antigen and antibody. Ficin is an enzyme that cleaves select antigen structures while enhancing the antibody binding abilities of others. A study was performed to ascertain agglutinating ability of an OFI/PeG/Ficin cocktail with red blood cells expressing the Jk(b) antigen and serum containing anti-Jk(b). A total of ten samples were tested. Reactivity was compared with PeG as this enhancement media is known to agglutinate Jk(b) positive red cells in the presence of sera containing anti-Jk(b). A paired t-test was used to ascertain significance between the two groups. There was no significant difference in reactivity between the cocktail and OPI. Future studies should focus on testing higher concentrations of the cactus with PeG and Ficin to rule out a dilutional effect. Opuntia Ficus Indica was also used in tissue culture studies to determine duration of viability of red blood cells using the trypan blue exclusion method. Viability of cells in culture is crucial rendering the identification of solutions able to maintain viability in culture a prudent activity. Our research indicates filtered OFI was able to sustain greater than 90% viability of red blood cells for at least 96 hours under standard tissue culture conditions. Testing for longer duration and utilizing different cell lines would add to the current body of knowledge in tissue culture research. This is the first study utilizing OFI in tissue culture.