Plot No. C40, Road No. 21Y, MIDC, Wagle Industrial Estate, Thane(W)-400604, MH, India
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Intended use
Recommended a general purpose medium for the cultivation of less fastidious microorganisms.
Composition**
| Ingredients | g/L |
|---|---|
| Peptone | 5.000 |
| Sodium chloride | 5.000 |
| HM peptone B# | 1.500 |
| Yeast extract | 1.500 |
| Agar | 15.000 |
| Final pH (at 25°C) | 7.4±0.2 |
**Formula adjusted, standardized to suit performance parameters
# - Equivalent to Beef extract
Directions
Either streak, inoculate or surface spread the test inoculum (50-100 CFU) aseptically on the plate.
Principle And Interpretation
Nutrient media are basic culture media used for maintaining microorganisms, cultivating fastidious organisms by enriching with serum or blood and are also used for purity checking prior to biochemical or serological testing (1,2). Nutrient Agar is ideal for demonstration and teaching purposes where a more prolonged survival of cultures at ambient temperature is often required without risk of overgrowth that can occur with more nutritious substrate. This relatively simple formula has been retained and is still widely used in the microbiological examination of variety of materials and is also recommended by standard methods. It is one of the several non-selective media useful in routine cultivation of microorganisms (3,4). It can be used for the cultivation and enumeration of bacteria which are not particularly fastidious. Addition of different biological fluids such as horse or sheep blood, serum, egg yolk etc. makes it suitable for the cultivation of related fastidious organisms. Peptone, HM peptone B and yeast extract provide the necessary nitrogen compounds, carbon, vitamins and also some trace ingredients necessary for the growth of bacteria. Sodium chloride maintains the osmotic equilibrium of the medium.
Type of specimen
Clinical samples - faeces, urine; Food and dairy samples; Water samples
Specimen Collection and Handling:
- For clinical samples follow appropriate techniques for handling specimens as per established guidelines (5,6).
- For food and dairy samples, follow appropriate techniques for sample collection and processing as per guidelines (3,4,7).
- For water samples, follow appropriate techniques for sample collection, processing as per guidelines and local standards (8).
- After use, contaminated materials must be sterilized by autoclaving before discarding.
Warning and Precautions :
In Vitro diagnostic use. For professional use only. Read the label before opening the container. Wear protective gloves/ protective clothing/eye protection/ face protection. Follow good microbiological lab practices while handling specimens and culture. Standard precautions as per established guidelines should be followed while handling clinical specimens. Safety guidelines may be referred in individual safety data sheets.
Limitations :
- Individual organisms differ in their growth requirement and may show variable growth patterns on the medium.
- Each lot of the medium has been tested for the organisms specified on the COA. It is recommended to users to validate the medium for any specific microorganism other than mentioned in the COA based on the user's requirement.
- Further serological and biochemical testing is required for complete identification.
Performance and Evaluation
Performance of the medium is expected when used as per the direction on the label within the expiry period when stored at recommended temperature.
Quality Control
Appearance
Sterile Nutrient Agar in 90 mm disposable plates with smooth surface and absence of black particles/cracks/bubbles
Colour of medium
Light amber coloured medium
Quantity of medium
25 ml of medium in 90 mm disposable plates.
pH
7.20-7.60
Sterility Check
Passes release criteria
Cultural Response
Productivity: Cultural characteristics observed after an incubation at 35-37°C for 18-48 hours.
| Organism | Inoculum (CFU) | Growth | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 (00013*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (00025*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Salmonella Typhi ATCC 6539 | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus ATCC 25923 (00034*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Streptococcus pyogenes ATCC 19615 | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Salmonella Enteritidis ATCC 13076 (00030*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 (00031*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 9610 (00038*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
| Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 23715 (00160*) | 50-100 | good-luxuriant | >=70% |
Key: (*) Corresponding WDCM numbers.
Storage and Shelf Life
On receipt store between 20-30°C. Use before expiry date on the label. Product performance is best if used within stated expiry period.
Disposal
User must ensure safe disposal by autoclaving and/or incineration of used or unusable preparations of this product. Follow established laboratory procedures in disposing of infectious materials and material that comes into contact with clinical sample must be decontaminated and disposed of in accordance with current laboratory techniques (5,6).
Reference
- Lapage S., Shelton J. and Mitchell T., 1970, Methods in Microbiology', Norris J. and Ribbons D., (Eds.), Vol. 3A, Academic Press, London.
- MacFaddin J. F., 2000, Biochemical Tests for Identification of Medical Bacteria, 3rd Ed., Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.
- American Public Health Association, Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products, 1978, 14th Ed., Washington D.C.
| Product Name | Nutrient Agar Plate |
|---|---|
| SKU | MP001 |
Write Your Own Review
What is the difference between PCA and Standard Methods Agar?
PCA (Plate Count Agar) and Standard Methods Agar are the SAME formulation - names used interchangeably. Both contain: tryptone (5 g/L), yeast extract (2.5 g/L), dextrose (1 g/L), agar (15 g/L). Final pH 7.0±0.2. The 'Standard Methods' name emphasizes its specification in APHA Standard Methods for Water/Wastewater. 'Plate Count Agar' name emphasizes its use for enumeration. Completely equivalent media - choose based on: method citation preference, laboratory naming conventions, or ordering preferences.
Is Nutrient Agar suitable for pharmaceutical water testing?
While Nutrient Agar can be used for water testing, TSA is preferred for pharmaceutical water per USP <1231>. Nutrient Agar has simpler formulation that may not recover stressed organisms from purified water systems. TSA's richer nutrients improve recovery of oligotrophic bacteria adapted to low-nutrient pharmaceutical water. For drinking/environmental water, Nutrient Agar acceptable. For WFI, Purified Water, RO water in pharma → use TSA or R2A. Check facility SOPs and validation for approved media.
When should I use Nutrient Agar instead of TSA?
Use Nutrient Agar when: (1) Testing non-fastidious organisms (coliforms, environmental bacteria), (2) Water testing per Standard Methods, (3) Budget constraints require lower-cost media, (4) Teaching/training applications, (5) Method specifically calls for Nutrient Agar. Use TSA when: (1) Pharmaceutical/GMP testing, (2) Clinical specimens, (3) Maximum recovery required, (4) Fastidious organism cultivation.
What is the difference between Nutrient Agar and TSA?
Nutrient Agar contains HM peptone B and yeast extract (3 g/L) and peptone (5 g/L) - simpler formulation. TSA contains tryptone and soya peptone (20 g/L total) plus dextrose - richer formulation. TSA supports fastidious organisms better due to higher nutrient content. Nutrient Agar is sufficient for hardy organisms (E. coli, Bacillus, Pseudomonas). Choose TSA for: pharmaceutical testing, clinical samples, stressed organisms. Choose Nutrient Agar for: routine Water testing, general cultivation, cost-sensitive applications, teaching labs.
What is Nutrient Agar used for?
Nutrient Agar is a general-purpose medium for cultivation of non-fastidious microorganisms. Less nutrient-rich than TSA but suitable for: (1) Routine microbial cultivation, (2) Total plate count in Water testing, (3) Maintenance of stock cultures, (4) Teaching and training laboratories, (5) Environmental monitoring where rich media not required. Contains HM Peptone B and peptone providing basic nutrients. Used when simple nutritional requirements are sufficient or when testing requires nutrient-limited conditions.
What is plain Agar?
Plain agar (no nutrients) used for: (1) Dilution plating, (2) Fungal slide cultures, (3) Research applications requiring nutrient-free substrate. Simply agar solidifying agent without growth nutrients.