Question

Which type of media is used for fungi cultivation?

(a) Non nutrient agar

(b) Sabouraud’s dextrose agar

(c) MacConkey’s agar

(d) RPMI

This question was addressed to me in unit test.

I want to ask this question from Fed Batch Culture topic in section Microbial Growth Kinetics of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(b) Sabouraud’s dextrose agar

Explanation:

Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) is a type of selective and differential media commonly used for the cultivation of fungi, including yeasts and molds. This medium contains a high concentration of dextrose (a sugar) and a low pH, which supports the growth of fungi while inhibiting the growth of many bacteria. It is widely used in microbiology for isolating and growing fungi from clinical specimens, environmental samples, or industrial applications.

Here’s why the other options are not appropriate for fungi cultivation:

• (a) Non-nutrient agar: This is often used for growing specific bacteria, such as those in water or for testing the motility of microorganisms, but it is not ideal for cultivating fungi.
• (c) MacConkey’s agar: This is a selective medium primarily used for isolating gram-negative bacteria and differentiating them based on lactose fermentation, so it’s not suitable for fungi.
• (d) RPMI: This is a medium primarily used for the culture of human cells, not for fungi.

Therefore, Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SDA) is the best choice for cultivating fungi.