Esculin Agar is recommended for demonstrating esculin hydrolysis by various microorganisms. This medium is recommended for the cultivation and differentiation of bacteria based on their ability to hydrolyze esculin and produce H2S. The unhydrolyzed esculin can be detected using long wave UV light at 360 nm since they will remain unchanged and fluorescence under UV light. Hydrolysed esculin will not fluoresce and medium turns black.
1. Atlas R. M., 1996, Handbook of Microbiological Media, 2nd Ed., CRC Press,2.Koneman E. W., Allen S. D., Janda W. M., Schreckenberger P. C., Winn W. C. Jr., 1997, Colour Atlas and Textbook ofDiagnostic Microbiology, 5th Ed., J. B. Lippinccott- Raven Publishers, Philadelphia,Pa.3.Shigei, 1992, In Isenberg (Ed.), Clinical Microbiology Procedures Handbook, Vol. 1, American Society for Microbiology,Washington, D.C.