Corn Meal Agar

TM 076 – CORN MEAL AGAR

PRODUCT SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION
Chlamydospore production is an accepted criterion for the identification of Candida species. Corn Meal Agar is a wellestablished mycological medium used for the cultivation of fungi and to study chlamydospores production of Candida
species. Corn Meal Agar is a general purpose medium used for the cultivation of fungi and for the study of Candida species for chlamydospore production. Pollack and Benham have described the usefulness of this medium for studying the morphology of Candida. Walker and Huppert modified this medium by adding polysorbate 80, which then stimulated faster and plenty of chlamydospore formation of Candida species. This is a very simple formulation containing only cornmeal infusion and agar. Pick a suspected colony from Sabouraud Dextrose Agar using a straight wire, and make a deep cut in the Corn Meal Agar plate. Repeat for each colony. Place a flamed sterile coverslip over the line of inoculum. After incubation for 24-48 hours at 25-30°C, the streaks are examined microscopically, through the coverslip, using low and high power objectives. C.albicans produces mycelium bearing ball-like clusters of budding cells and characteristics thick walled round chlamydospores.

PRINCIPLE
The infusion has enough nutrients to enhance the growth of fungi. Agar acts as a solidifying agent.

QUALITY CONTROL SPECIFICATIONS
Appearance of Powder : Cream to yellow coarse free flowing powder
Appearance of prepared medium : Transparent off white gel forms in petri plates.
pH (at 25°C) : 6.0±0.2