Comparison of Different Media
for the Pigment Production of
Cryptococcus neoformans
1187-1189
Correspondence
Ruchi Katiyar,
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology,
Rural Medical College, Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences,
Loni, Taluka-Rahata, Ahmednagar,
Maharashtra-413736, India
Phone: +91-9890250597
E-mail: ruchi_katiyar@yahoo.com
Background: Melanin production by their phenoloxidase activity is a distinctive property of the Cryptococcus neoformans isolates. An agar medium which contains a precursor of melanin is used to test the pigment production by C.neoformans. Purpose: This study aimed to compare the pigment production of C.neoformans on various media.
Materials and Methods:Twenty strains of C.neoformans which were obtained from various clinical samples were inoculated on different media and observed for the rate of growth and pigment production.
Results: Sunflower seed agar was the best medium, with the mean day of growth and the pigment production being 1.25 and 2.8 respectively. The least suitable medium for the observation of pigments in our study was mustard seed agar.
Conclusion: Sunflower seed agar is a simple and inexpensive tool for the presumptive identification of C.neoformans in clinical microbiology laboratories.