Thermo Scientific™ Dermasel Agar Base (Dehydrated)

Description

Isolate and identify dermatophyte fungi from hair, nails or skin scrapings using Thermo Scientific™ Oxoid™ Dermasel Agar Base (Dehydrated) when used with Dermasel Selective Supplement (SR0075). The near neutral pH of the medium is better for the growth of fungi. The often-recommended acidic pH used to supress bacterial contaminants is replaced by addition of selective agents. Chloramphenicol and cycloheximide render the medium selective for dermatophytes inhibiting many saprophytic fungi, yeasts and bacterial skin flora¹.

Use Dermasel Agar Base for the isolation of dermatophyte fungi from samples such as hair, skin scrapings and nails.

• Inhibits the growth of contaminating saprophytic fungi, yeasts and bacterial skin flora¹.
• Chloramphenicol and cycloheximide in the medium improve the isolation of dermatophytes, especially when the inoculum is heavily contaminated^{2, 3}

The chloramphenicol and cycloheximide supplement SR0075 reduces the potential risk to health from these antibiotics. To include them in the powder mix could allow them to be scattered as dust while weighing the medium. It also ensures a fixed, accurate dose of antibiotic that has been protected from degradation on storage.

The addition of cycloheximide and an anti-bacterial agent has been reported to improve considerably the isolation of dermatophytes, especially when the inoculum, such as horse hair, was heavily contaminated^3,4. The presence of staphylococci, which may grow in the absence of the antibiotic has been shown to prevent the in-vitro growth of Trichophyton rubrum⁵.

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.^6,7

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