Media Tests Reagent Type Media Test For Results

Selective Differential
1 Nutrient agar Normal

Catalase Aerobes and facultative enzyme Bubble= Catalase Present

Catalase – Breaks down H2O2

Cytochrome c. Pseudomonas
Oxidase from enterics Red/Blue filter= Positive

2 MacConkey Agar (/) Intestinal Flora )Bile Lactose Fermenter – Red (EC) Red/ Pink- positive, acidic, intestinal,
Salts and crystal violet lactose fermenter
Non Lactose Fermenter –
Creamy Pale (P, S, Colorless- Negative non lac and alkaline
Pseudomonas)

pH Indicator Neutral Red

3 Mannitol Salt Agar Mannitol Salt (/) Salt Tolerant= 7.5% Non-patho- Micrococcus Salt Tolerance Growth = Salt tolerant, G
Plates

Fermentation Salt, -
Patho- Staphylococcus Fermentation of
(/) Staphylococci Mannitol Salts Yellow- Pathogenic
Mannitol Fermenter
(/) G+ Gram positive or Pink- nonpathogenic
Negative
(X) Non-Salt Tolerant
Pathogen

4 Starch Agar Iodine Starch Hydrolyzers Clearing Zones (+)

Alpha amylase

(-) no clear
5 Eosin-Methylene Blue Agar (/) G- EC- purple with black center/
green metallic sheen
(/) Enteric Bacteria
(intestinal)
 Klebsiella pneumonia- dark
centered colonies/ green
metallic sheen

Enterobacter aeorogenes- pink

colonies/ no metallic sheen

Proteus mirabilis- colorless

colonies

Salmonella typhimurium-
colorless colonies
6 Simmon’s Citrate Agar Slant Citrate Carbon Source
Utilization Enterobacteriaceae
Citrate carbon source (+) Blue
end product CO2
Alkaline pH Turns (-) Green
thiol blue green color
to blue

Products pyruvic acid

Oxalacetic acid CO2
7 Triple Sugar Iron Agar butt-slant Glucose Ferment Glucose
Lactose (0.1) or
H2SO4 Lactose/sucrose (1%)
agar

Hydrogen Sulfide
Prod (GAS)

24 Hours
A Acidic
K Alkaline
NC No change
0
Gas production = anaerobic
+ Black H2SO4
 8 Thioglycolate Differentiates
aerobes from
anaerobe and other
classifications

9 Tryptone Broth Indole Test Kovacs Presence of (+) Red

Reagent tryptophenase
(-) No change

10 Nutrient Broth with 0.5% Glucose IMViC Glucose fermentation

Methyl Red Presence of several Acids Mixed Acid Pathway (+) Red 4.4pH
(-) Yellow > 6 pH
Voges
Proskauer- A Non-acid or Neutral Products (+) Brown Red Top
Broth tube

and B Presence AMC (e coli (-) from e (-) None

aurog (+))

11 Motility Indole Ornithine tube Motility Indole Motility (+) Growth away from stab line
Ornithine
Decarboxylation Ornithine Decarboxylase (+) Purple Media
test. Kovacs
Reagent Indole (+) Red top (kovac)

12 Urea Broth Phenol Red Proteus (+) from Salmonella (-) Hydrolysis of Urea to (+) Pink
indicator make an alkaline pH
(-) No change
13 Nitrate Broth NR 1 Nitrate reduced to (+) Red
NR 2 nitrite (-) no change

Zinc Nitrate to gaseous (+) no change

(-) Red (you indrocued nitrate before
with the other reagents)
14 Nutrient Broth (12% Gelatin) Gelatinase (+) Liquid

(-) Solid