Analysis of marine hydrobiont lipid extracts as possible cryoprotective agents

We studied a combined effect of the cryoprotectants both of lipid and carbohydrate origin at the presence of DMSO or without it on cell viability and the RNA synthesis in the embryonic mollusc and echinoderm cell cultures obtained at different developmental stages. Cryoprotective properties of exogenous lipids correlated with their thermotropic behavior. Lipid extracts from marine hydrobiontes, which thermal transitions are characterized by relatively small part of calorimetric thermogram area lying at temperatures above 0 °C (6–18%), were found to possess a considerable cryoprotective activity. The results are discussed in relation to the prediction of the cryoprotective activity of lipid extracts for marine animal cells. In addition, it was found that marine invertebrate cells can be cryopreserved without DMSO at the presence of trehalose and lipid extracts of some marine hydrobiontes.