Fig. 2

Media supplemented with select growth factors, insulin, and C. vulgaris extract improves cell viability in the absence of FBS. a Bar plots show the viability of EBTr cells cultured with CVE and CGF relative to controls cultured in 10% FBS at day 3. Panel b shows the relative viability of EBTr cells cultured in serum-free media supplemented with 10 or 100 ng/mL fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF), or 1 or 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor β1 (TGF), or combinations thereof, relative to controls cultured in 10% FBS after 3 days. Panel c shows the relative viability of EBTr cells cultured in serum-free media supplemented with growth factors (GFs), or 3 μM bovine insulin, or 0.2 mM L-ascorbate (LA), or 80 nM selenium dioxide (Se), or combinations thereof, relative to controls cultured in 10% FBS. Growth factors were used at 30 ng/mL (FGF) and 10 ng/mL (TGF). Panel d shows the relative viability of EBTr cells cultured in serum-free media supplemented with 10 g/L CVE or 10% CGF alone, or GFs and insulin with and without LA and Se, or combinations thereof, compared to controls cultured in 10% FBS; concentrations of GFs, insulin, LA, and Se were the same as that for panel c. Statistical significance was determined by t-tests with Welch’s correction; significance levels are indicated as *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001, ns = not significant, n = 6