Selective and differential MacConkey Agar medium for isolation, identification and enumeration of lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting coliform bacteria.
MacConkey Agar, catalogue No. M7408, is a dehydrated powdered culture medium supplied by MilliporeSigma / Merck under the NutriSelect® Basic brand. It is a selective and differential medium formulated for the isolation, identification and enumeration of lactose-fermenting and non-lactose-fermenting Gram-negative enteric bacteria, including coliforms such as Escherichia coli. The formulation contains peptone, lactose, bile salts and crystal violet to inhibit most Gram-positive organisms while supporting the growth of Gram-negative bacteria, with a colour change of the pH indicator providing differentiation based on lactose fermentation.
Advantages
- Selective and differential medium for enteric Gram-negative bacteria.
- NutriSelect® Basic quality offering cost-efficient performance.
- Supports differentiation of lactose-fermenting and non-fermenting strains.
- Powdered form allows flexible preparation of plates for routine testing.
- Suitable for food, water, clinical and environmental microbiology analyses.
Technical specifications
| Product name | MacConkey Agar |
| Catalogue number | M7408 |
| Brand / quality | NutriSelect® Basic |
| Form | Dehydrated powdered medium |
| Application | Selective and differential culture |
| Suitable for | Gram-negative bacteria; coliforms; enteric bacteria |
| Typical use | Food, water, clinical and environmental microbiology |
| Prepared pH | ~6.9–7.3 |
| Solubility | 50 g/L in water |
| Packaging sizes | 250 g; 500 g |
| Storage conditions | 15–25 °C, dry |
| Brand | Merck |
