Inspissation

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Inspissation is the process of thickening by dehydration.

Intentional use

Inspissation is the process used when heating high-protein containing media; for example to enable recovery of bacteria for testing. Once inspissation has occurred, any stained bacteria, such as Mycobacteria, can then be isolated.

A Serum inspissation or Fractional sterilization is a process of heating an article on 3 successive days as follows:

Day Temperature Time Purpose
1 85°C 60 minutes Drying of the medium and killing the organisms in their vegetative form
Time in between overnight incubation Growth of vegetative forms from spores
2 75 to 80°C 20 minutes killing the organisms in their vegetative form
Time in between overnight incubation Growth of vegetative forms from any spores remaining
3 75 to 85°C 20 minutes killing the organisms in their vegetative form as well as the leftover spores

Pathologic inspissation

In cystic fibrosis, inspissation of secretions in the respiratory[1] and gastrointestinal tracts is a major mechanism of causing the disease.

References

  1. Perlman M, Williams J, Hirsch M, Bar-Ziv J (September 1975). "Familial non-cystic fibrosis mucus inspissation of respiratory tract". Arch. Dis. Child. 50 (9): 727–30. doi:10.1136/adc.50.9.727. PMC 1545639. PMID 1190822. 

Further reading

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