Thermo Scientific™ Remel™ Bile Esculin Agar

Description

• Presumptively identify group D Streptococci and Enterococci using Thermo Scientific™ Remel™ Bile Esculin Agar (Dehydrated)
• Esculin agar containing 40% bile, correlated well with serologically confirmed group D streptococci as reported by Swan 1
• Using Swan's formula, Facklam and Moody tested over 700 strains of Streptococci and Enterococci representing all known serological groups and found all strains to be bile-resistant and esculin-positive 2
• Meyer et al
• found that 61 of 62 strains of Enterococci hydrolyzed esculin in a medium containing bile 3
• This medium contains Oxgall in a concentration of 4% (equivalent to 40% bile) that inhibits most strains of S treptococci and Enterococci other than group D
• In the presence of bile, group D S treptococci and Enterococci hydrolyze esculin and form esculetin and dextrose
• Ferric ammonium citrate supplies ferric ions which react with esculetin and form brown-black colonies on Bile Esculin Agar.