Microbiology: Biochemical Tests

Test Amylase Caseinase DNase Lipase Medium starch agar skim milk agar DNase agar spirit blue agar Substrate starch casein DNA lipid lactose lactose mannitol tryptophan glucose glucose citrate Reagent glucose, maltose. iodine
Product(s) dextrins amino acids, peptides nucleotides

pH indicator

+ appearance organisms + colorless zone B. subtilis after iodine clear zone B. subtilis colorless zone blue/clear zone, blue ppt. metallic green; fish eyes pink (+ ppt.) yellow media red at surface red throughout red at surface royal blue black ppt. yellow pink bubbles blue ppt., solid green/brown zone clear zone S. aureus S. aureus E. coli; E. aerogenes E. coli; E. aerogenes S. aureus E. coli E. coli E. aerogenes E. aerogenes S. typhimurium P. vulgaris
(also + for H2S)

methyl green

Eosin Methylene EMB agar Blue (EMB) agar 1 MacConkeys agar 1 MacConkeys agar Mannitol Salt Agar MSA (MSA) 2 Indole TSB Methyl Red MRVP broth Voges-Proskauer MRVP broth Citrate Utilization Simmons citrate agar TSI: H2S Gas TSI agar TSI: Sugar Ferm. TSI agar Urease Catalase Coagulase Hemolysis: Hemolysis: Carb. Ferm. Series Nitrate Reduction Oxidase Litmus
1

glycerol. fatty acids organic acids organic acids organic acids indole organic acids non-acids Na2 CO3

neutral red phenol red Kovacs reagent methyl red VP-A & VP-B bromthymol blue phenol red phenol red phenol red

(Christensens) urea agar

iron sulfide iron (sulfate) glucose, lactose, organic acids sucrose ammonia, CO2 urea

Proteus Staphylococci S. aureus S. pneumoniae S. pyogenes, S. aureus

hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) fibrinogen 5% sheeps blood agar 5% sheeps blood agar glucose, lactose, sucrose broth tryptic nitrate broth litmus milk

water, oxygen
clumping factorfibrinogen complex

hemoglobin (red) biliverdin

(green/brown) red blood cells lysed red blood cells glucose, lactose, organic acids, CO2 sucrose nitrite; ammonia nitrate

phenol red nitrate A & B, zinc litmus

yellow, CO2 in Durham tube red color blue color various P. aeruginosa

casein, lactose

various
2

selective for gram-negative bacteria; differential results indicated

selective for salt-tolerant staphylococci; differential results indicated