Purification of Plasmodium lophurae exoerythrocytic merozoites by an ion exchange column

Exoerythrocytic merozoites of Plasmodium lophurae grown in embryonic turkey brain cells were successfully separated from host cell material by elution from a DEAE-cellulose column at ionic strength 0.22. Purity of parasite samples was assessed by sodium dodecyl sulphate acrylamide gel electrophoresis and electron microscopy. Increasing the ionic strength gave greater recoveries of merozoites, but host cell contamination increased.