SABOURAUD CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAR

Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is cited as Medium C and recommended for cultivation of yeasts and moulds. This medium was described originally by Sabouraud for the cultivation of fungi, particularly useful for the fungi associated with skin infections. The medium is often used with antibiotics such as Chloramphenicol for the isolation of pathogenic fungi from materials containing large numbers of fungi or bacteria.

Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is a selective agar medium designed for the isolation and cultivation of yeasts and molds from clinical, food, and dairy samples. This medium is widely accepted as a routine medium for studies involving fungi and in standard practices is known as Medium C. Sabouraud chloramphenicol agar can be employed in mixed culture of microorganisms and isolation of fungi in the presence of bacteria. Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is a nutrient rich agar that supports the growth of fungi, but prevents the growth of unwanted bacterial contamination. Tryptone and peptone serve as nitrogenous and carbon sources, as well as other nutrients compounds that are needed by microbes for their development. Dextrose is a source of energy and stimulates the growth of active yeasts and molds. The bacteriostatic antibiotic chloramphenicol, which inhibits a wide range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria, is one of the active ingredients of Sabouraud Chlorrarnphenicol Agar. This selectivity makes possible the development of fungi without interference of bacterial flora.

Another important feature of Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is the low pH, which is favorable for fungi growth and inhibits most of the bacteria contaminates. The coexistence of fungal pathogens and other competing bacteria in clinical specimens such as skin and nail scraping, make this medium ideal for use in such samples. It is also used in the food and dairy industry to identify fungal contamination. Preparation of Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is easy and convenient. The medium is dissolved in distilled water, mixed well, heated to dissolve, and sterilized by autoclaving. It is then allowed to cool and poured into sterile petri plates and solidifies to form light amber colored gel with a clear to slightly opalescent appearance. The medium must be handled carefully because some fungi may produce spores which can spread in air.

Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Agar is the quality controlled agar to provide consistent results when used as directed. It allows fungi to grow consistently when used according to the instructions, which makes it a good option for the isolation of fungi from routine and clinical samples.

for selective isolation and cultivation of yeasts and molds