Population dynamics of some domestic mites in laboratory culture

Abstract

Background Domestic mites are a primary source of allergens indoors all over the world. Extracts of mite allergens are important for diagnosing and treating mites allergy. The effective cultivation processes play a critical role in the final composition of mites' allergen extracts. In order to produce large amounts of antigens of domestic mites, culture techniques of domestic mites were studied. Domestic mites were isolated from collected dust samples and cultured on a fine-ground mixture of dust and sawdust (2:1). While dry yeast, wheat germ, and cornflour were used at a ratio of 2:1:1 for nutrition. Food was placed over a few centimeters of cement base that had been placed on the bottom of the rearing containers. The population growth rates were determined. Results Successful methods for mite cultures utilize high protein and carbohydrate foods, an average temperature of (25 ± 2) °C and relative humidity (80 ± 5) %. During a 14-week observation period of mites' culture, the peak in number was obtained after 8 weeks of the culture in Tyrophagus, 10 weeks in Dermatophagoides, and 12 weeks in Blomia; thereafter, the number decreased. Significant differences were found in the growth rates of Dermatophagoides (P = 0.02) and Blomia (P = 0.03) in between pure and mixed cultures. Conclusions The modifications made to the mixture of diet used for cultivation showed a high yield of domestic mites. Also, the cement layer also is an excellent way to make space for egg laying and prevent mites from escaping.