Growth Supplements for Helicobacter pylori

The growth response of Helicobacter pylori in broth was determined in the presence of ferrous sulfate, sodium pyruvate, and mucin (porcine stomach). The addition of either ferrous sulfate and sodium pyruvate or mucin to brain heart infusion broth with 7% horse serum (BHI-HS) enhanced the growth of H. pylori. The best growth of strain NB2-1, which was the slowest growing of 10 H. pylori strains evaluated, occurred in the presence of 0.05% ferrous sulfate and 0.05% sodium pyruvate. The addition of 0.3% mucin to BHI-HS reduced the lag time of H. pylori by 48 h and enhanced the growth. On the basis of the results for 10 H. pylori strains, the combination of ferrous sulfate (0.025%), sodium pyruvate (0.025%), and mucin (0.15%) in BHI-HS counteracted the inhibitory effects of the antibiotics used in culture media for selective growth of H. pylori. Results suggest that these supplements may be useful for enhancement of the growth of H. pylori in enrichment media.