Culture mediums for Mycobacteria
Egg-based (Lowenstein-Jensen, Petragnani, ATS)Serum or Agar-based (Middlebrook 7H10 and 7H11)Liquid
Mycobacteria are slow-growing, acid-fast bacteria that require specialized culture media for their isolation and identification in the laboratory. Here are some commonly used culture media for Mycobacteria:
1. Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium: This is the most commonly used medium for the cultivation of Mycobacteria. It is an egg-based medium that contains malachite green and glycerol as selective and enrichment agents. LJ medium is useful for the primary isolation and differentiation of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex from non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).
2. Middlebrook 7H10 and 7H11 agar: These are agar-based media that contain oleic acid, albumin, dextrose, and catalase (OADC) as enrichment agents. They are particularly useful for the growth of slow-growing mycobacterial species.
3. Middlebrook 7H9 broth: This is a liquid medium that is enriched with OADC and used for the growth of Mycobacteria in liquid cultures. It is often used for drug susceptibility testing and has the advantage of enabling fast bacterial growth.
4. Stonebrink medium: This is a specialized medium that is used for the isolation of Mycobacterium bovis from other Mycobacteria species. It contains pyruvate, malachite green, and glycerol.
5. Dubos agar: This is a selective medium that contains casein hydrolysate, yeast extract, oleic acid, albumin, and dextrose. It is used for the isolation of mycobacterial species other than M. tuberculosis.
In conclusion, the choice of culture medium depends on the purpose of the test, bacterial species, and the laboratory that is performing the test.
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