Why does RPMI1640 medium change color?-FAQ-He Yuan Li Ji

Why does RPMI1640 medium change color?

Pubtime：2024-05-10

View volume：222

When we usually use RPMI1640 culture medium, do we experience colors such as pink, purple, and rose red when half used or just opened for a period of time? What is the reason for this? In fact, when we purchase RPMI1640 culture medium, we usually see two components on the ingredient list: sodium bicarbonate and phenol red. It can be said that these two components are the main reasons for the discoloration of RPMI1640 culture medium. Let's first take a look at sodium bicarbonate. After opening the culture medium, sodium bicarbonate will decompose to produce CO2, causing the culture medium to become alkaline. At this point, we can loosen the culture bottle and place it in a CO2 incubator for a period of time, and the color of the culture medium will become normal. In addition, phenol red can also cause discoloration of RPMI1640 medium, and when the pH in the medium is too high, phenol red will also change color. Cells produce metabolites in the culture medium, which can also cause changes in acidity or alkalinity. Therefore, the fundamental reason for the discoloration of RPMI1640 culture medium is that the pH value of the medium has changed. When the pH value of the culture medium is greater than 7, the color tends to be purple; On the contrary, if the pH value is less than 7, the color tends to be yellow.

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