_1747119483 20250513112803000 Ghalib University sayedhussain.mosawi@ghalib.edu.af GHALIB UNIVERSITY Afghanistan Journal of Infectious Diseases AJID 2959-6491 05 13 2025 3 1 10.60141/ajid.v3.i1 https://www.ajid.ghalib.edu.af/index.php/ajid/issue/view/12 Growth Media for Cultivating Acanthamoeba Abdolhossein Dalimi Ali Reza Mohammady Background  Acanthamoeba, a genus of free-living amoebae found in soil, freshwater, and marine habitats, is crucial in environmental studies and medical microbiology due to its potential to cause severe human infections. Cultivating Acanthamoeba is crucial for diagnosing infections, guiding treatment, and assessing exposure risks to pathogenic strains. This study aims to compare different culture media for cultivating Acanthamoeba under laboratory conditions. Materials and Methods The study examined ten culture media for Acanthamoeba growth, including TSB, Trypticase soy agar (TSA), Trypticase soy yeast (TSY), Trypticase yeast iron-extracted (TYI), Trypticase, yeast maltose extract (TYM), Pepton Yeast Glucose Extract (PYG), Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), RPMI 1640, Serum Casein Glucose Yeast Extract (SCGY), Coconut powder suspension in NNA medium, as well as non-nutrient agar (NNA) as the primary & control culture. Results The results showed varied growth rates of Acanthamoeba when cultured in different media, highlighting important trends in their adaptability and growth based on the nutritional composition of the media provided. In TSB, TSA, DMEM/F12 and SCGY media, no growth was observed, suggesting that the combination may lack essential nutrients or conditions necessary for fostering Acanthamoeba proliferation. TYI showed an excellent growth rate for Acanthamoeba, particularly notable during the first 24-72 hours. The use of maltose as a carbon source and FBS in the NNA environment appears to promote rapid proliferation of Acanthamoeba. Coconut powder suspension in NNA medium led to excellent growth rates of Acanthamoeba. Conclusion The effective cultivation of Acanthamoeba in TYI, TYM, and coconut powder highlights the significance of refining nutrient composition to enhance culturing methods. 01 21 2025 10 15 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 10.60141/ajid.76 https://www.ajid.ghalib.edu.af/index.php/ajid/article/view/76 https://www.ajid.ghalib.edu.af/index.php/ajid/article/download/76/91 https://www.ajid.ghalib.edu.af/index.php/ajid/article/download/76/91