BHI Broth is useful for cultivating a wide variety of microorganisms since it is a highly nutritive medium. It is also used to prepare the inocula for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. BHI Broth is a modification of the original formulation of Rosenow, where he added pieces of brain tissues to dextrose broth. BHI Broth is also the preferred medium for anaerobic bacteria, yeasts and moulds. This medium is nutritious and well buffered to support the growth of wide variety of organisms. With the addition of 10% defibrinated sheep blood, it is useful for isolation and cultivation of Histoplasma capsulatum and other fungi. For selective isolation of fungi, addition of gentamicin and/or chloramphenicol is recommended.

For the cultivation of fastidious and nonfastidious microorganisms, including aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, from clinical and non-clinical specimens.