PURPOSE:
- TraceMedia™ Mueller Hinton Chocolate Agar is used to test antibiotic susceptibility or MIC on fastidious bacteria such as Neisseria, Haemophilus, and Helicobacter pylori.
PRINCIPLE:
- TraceMedia™ Mueller Hinton Chocolate Agar contains nutritious components, including beef extract and acid hydrolysate of casein, providing amino acids, nitrogenous compounds, vitamins, and essential minerals for bacterial growth.
- Starch acts as a protective colloid against toxic substances in the medium. Additionally, the medium contains small amounts of thymidine and thymine, and the concentration of divalent cations is controlled when performing antibiotic susceptibility tests on basic Mueller Hinton Agar. Agar solidifies the medium. Sheep Blood is added to enhance the growth of fastidious bacteria.
READING RESULTS:
- After incubation for the required time, bacterial growth and zones of inhibition are observed on the surface of the agar plates. Further identification of the isolated bacteria must be conducted through appropriate testing.
- If individual colonies are still present, retesting is necessary. The plates are inverted, held up to the light, and the diameter of the complete zones of inhibition (including the disk) is measured using a millimeter ruler.
- The edge of the zone should be read from the area where bacterial growth is not visible to the naked eye. Bacteria with faint or small growth at the edge of the zone of inhibition may only be visible when magnified and should be disregarded.
- For interpretation of the zone of inhibition, please refer to CLSI M100 guidelines for each bacterial strain.