Refined production of egg-derived media additives enhances proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cell culture

TL;DR

This study shows that egg-based substitutes can replace fetal bovine serum in culturing muscle cells, reducing costs and ethical concerns in cultured meat production.

Contribution

A novel egg-derived substitute (E5H) is developed, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing costs compared to existing methods.

Findings

Egg-derived substitutes replaced up to 100% of fetal bovine serum in skeletal muscle satellite cell culture.

Production time was reduced by 53% and protein yield increased 5.79 times with the new method.

Cell culture costs using E5H were up to 8.10 times lower than with commercial fetal bovine serum.

Abstract

In the recently expanding global cultured meat market, fetal bovine serum (FBS) substitutes are being designed as one of the solutions to the ethical issues of FBS and the industrialization of cultured meat. This study aims to select the optimal FBS substitute by comparing the culture efficiency of skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) according to the method of producing substitutes using eggs. SMSCs cultured under low-serum conditions with whole egg extract as an FBS substitute exhibited a cell proficiency similar to those in media containing commercial FBS, and it was shown that up to 75% of commercial FBS could be replaced. The production method of this substitute was improved compared to the previously announced production method of an FBS substitute derived from egg white, shortening the production time by approximately 53% and increasing the protein yield by up to 5.79 times. Based on this, when 10% chicken serum and improved substitutes derived from whole eggs (E5H) were mixed, it was possible to replace 100% of commercial FBS, and myotubes could be produced with similar differentiation efficiency. Therefore, when E5H is applied to the medium, the cell culture cost is expected to be 2.91 times lower than that using commercial FBS, and when mixed with chicken serum, SMSCs can be cultured at a savings cost of up to 8.10 times. In conclusion, this study improved the proliferation efficiency of three SMSC types using egg-derived FBS substitutes and is expected to effectively reduce the production cost of cultured meat.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44463-026-00062-z.

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