RDB--a new product of plant origin for cell culture dispersion.

RDB is a crude preparation extracted from a plant source. It is a very potent agent for dispersion of monolayer cell cultures as well as for the preparation of primary cell suspensions. It was found to be most effective in dispersing a wide range of animal and mosquito cells and dissociating neuronal and muscular tissue for primary cell cultures. RDB was also found to be useful for preparation of primary culture for chick embryo fibroblasts. After treatment with RDB cell viability was found to be 98% as compared to 85% in trypsin treated monolayer cultures. Routine dispersion of monolayer cultures with RDB does not have any negative effect on confluency of the newly split cultures. RDB was found to have no adverse effects on viral replication and plating efficiency of Rift Valley Fever Virus, Sindbis Virus and West Nile Virus.