Vitamin Content of Ingredients of Microbiological Culture Media

Abstract

The commonly used dehydrated ingredients of microbiol. culture media such as the various peptones, yeast extract, meat extract, etc., were assayed for their content of thiamine, riboflavin, panto-thenic acid, nicotinic acid, biotin, pyridoxine, folic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid. The vitamin values of the culture media ingredients are compared with the amts. recorded in the literature as essential for opt. growth of various bacteria, yeasts and fungi. If the peptones, meat extracts, etc., are used singly or in some combinations in concs. of 1-2%, the resultant media may be deficient in thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and p-aminobenzoic acid but not in nicotinic acid, biotin or folic acid. It is suggested that such growth factor deficiencies in culture media may be remedied by proper combinations of the different ingredients or by the addition of liver or yeast concentrates or synthetic vitamins.