Charcoal Agar Base (Dehydrated)

Selectively isolate Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis with Thermo Scientific™ Remel™ Charcoal Agar Base (Dehydrated) supplemented with cephalexin. Ensminger et al. used a charcoal medium to grow B. pertussis in vaccine production¹. Regan and Lowe added 10% defibrinated horse blood to this agar supplemented with 40 μg/ml cephalexin and reported it to be an excellent enrichment and transport medium². Horse blood is superior to sheep or human blood for recovery of Bordetella and ambient air provides more luxuriant growth of bordetellae than incubation in 5-10% CO₂^3,4.

This is a solid medium used to isolate Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis which causes whooping cough and require special culturing techniques.

Cephalexin and Charcoal Agar Base provides selective isolation of Bordetella spp. from respiratory specimens by inhibiting penicillin-resistant staphylococci, some coliforms and some strains of Haemophilus influenzae.  

• Growth factor: Horse blood supplies growth factors for B. pertussis and neutralizes inhibitory substances.
• Selective: Cephalexin provides selective isolation of Bordetella spp. 

Charcoal Agar Base contains beef extract, peptones and nicotinic acid that provide essential nutrients for growth of Bordetella. Starch and charcoal are added to absorb toxic fatty acids and peroxides.

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Remel™ and Oxoid™ products are now part of the Thermo Scientific brand.