Thermo Scientific™ Dermasel Agar

Identify fungal scalp, skin and nail infections with Dermasel Agar, formulated for the primary isolation and identification of dermatophyte fungi.

• Near neutral pH aids fungal growth
• Cycloheximide inhibits growth of saprophytic fungi, yeasts and bacterial skin flora
• Characteristic colonial morphology, typical pigmentation, macroconidia and microconidia aid identification
• Ready-to-use convenience of prepared media

Emmons¹ suggested that media for growth of dermatophytes should have a pH of 6.8 to 7.0 rather than pH 5.6 as is often recommended. A near neutral pH is better for the growth of some fungi, and the acid pH used to suppress bacterial contaminants can be replaced by antibiotics.

The addition to the medium of Dermasel Selective Supplement (Part No. SR0075E) to give a level of cycloheximide 0.4g/L and chloramphenicol 0.05g/L renders the medium selective for dermatophytes, inhibiting the growth of saprophytic fungi, yeasts and bacterial skin flora.

The addition of cycloheximide and an anti-bacterial agent has been reported to considerably improve the isolation of dermatophytes, especially when the inoculum, such as horse hair, was heavily contaminated 2,3. The presence of staphylococci, which may grow in the absence of the antibiotic, has been shown to prevent the in vitro growth of Trichophyton rubrum. The presence of cycloheximide in the medium inhibits the growth of Trichosporon cutaneum, Candida parasilosis, Candida krusei, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Cephalosporium species which have been associated with diseased nails.

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