Nutrient Agar

Nutrient Agar

Medium for non fastidious bacteria growth.

Nutrient Agar is a general purpose medium, not selective but suitable for the cultivation of a wide variety nonfastidious microorganisms. It can be used as a colony count medium in sanitation, medical and industrial bacteriology.
There are many uses for Nutrient Agar in the bacteriological analysis of drinking water, wastewater, milk and other foods. The American Public Health Association (APHA) suggested the formula of Nutrient Agar as a standard culture medium used in water testing.
It is also used in the multiplication of microorganisms to produce vaccines and antigens in general, in the tests of sensitivity and resistance, and as a base to prepare an enriched medium by adding ascitic fluid, etc. It is used to grow microorganisms and for subsequent biochemical tests.
The Gelatin peptone and Beef extract provide nitrogen, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for growth. Bacteriological agar is the solidifying agent.
ISO 6579, ISO 19250 and ISO 10273 recommend this medium to obtain presuntive Salmonella and Yersinia isolated colonies respectively. Good growth will appear as translucent colonies.