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Communication

Evaluation of Bacterial Viability for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Impact of Thawing Temperature and Storage Time

1
Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
2
Department of Science and Technological Innovation, University of Eastern Piedmont, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
3
Department of Economics, University of Genova, 16126 Genova, Italy
4
Research Training Innovation Infrastructure, Research and Innovation Department (DAIRI), Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Submission received: 18 May 2024 / Revised: 17 June 2024 / Accepted: 20 June 2024 / Published: 25 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Gut Microbiota)

Abstract

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) represents a promising therapeutic tool under study for several purposes and is currently applied to the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. However, since the use of fresh stool was affected by several issues linked to donor screening, the development of a frozen stool bank is a reliable option to standardize FMT procedures. Nevertheless, different environmental factors impact microbial viability. Herein, we report the effect of different thawing temperatures and storage conditions on bacterial suspensions in the FMT procedure. In total, 20 stool samples were divided into aliquots and tested across a combination of different storing periods (15, 30; 90 days) and thawing procedures (4 °C overnight, room temperature for 1 h; 37 °C for 5 min). Focusing on storage time, our data showed a significant reduction in viability for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria after thawing for 15 days, while no further reductions were observed until after 90 days. Instead, among the different thawing procedures, no significant differences were observed for aerobic bacteria, while for anaerobes, thawing at 37 °C for 5 min was more effective in preserving the bacterial viability. In conclusion, the frozen fecal microbiota remained viable for at least three months, with an excellent recovery rate in all three thawing conditions.
Keywords: Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT); stool bank; Clostridiodes difficile infection; bacterial viability Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT); stool bank; Clostridiodes difficile infection; bacterial viability

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bottino, P.; Vay, D.; Leli, C.; Ferrara, L.; Pizzo, V.; Gotta, F.; Raiteri, A.; Rapallo, F.; Roveta, A.; Maconi, A.; et al. Evaluation of Bacterial Viability for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Impact of Thawing Temperature and Storage Time. Microorganisms 2024, 12, 1294. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms12071294

AMA Style

Bottino P, Vay D, Leli C, Ferrara L, Pizzo V, Gotta F, Raiteri A, Rapallo F, Roveta A, Maconi A, et al. Evaluation of Bacterial Viability for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Impact of Thawing Temperature and Storage Time. Microorganisms. 2024; 12(7):1294. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms12071294

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bottino, Paolo, Daria Vay, Christian Leli, Lidia Ferrara, Valentina Pizzo, Franca Gotta, Alessio Raiteri, Fabio Rapallo, Annalisa Roveta, Antonio Maconi, and et al. 2024. "Evaluation of Bacterial Viability for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Impact of Thawing Temperature and Storage Time" Microorganisms 12, no. 7: 1294. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms12071294

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