Fastidious Anaerobe Agar with 7% Horse Blood, Nalidixic Acid (10mg/L) and 0.1% Tween 80

This is a selective medium for the isolation of clinically significant anaerobes including fastidious organisms. The formulation is complex and includes detoxification agents (starch and sodium hydrogen carbonate), growth enhancing agents (cysteine, arginine, menadione, sodium succinate, glucose and pyrophosphate) and haemin to encourage pigment production in Porphyromonas melaninogenicus. Sodium pyruvate is included to help neutralise hydrogen peroxide. The medium is made selective by the inclusion of nalidixic acid and further enriched by the addition of 7% defibrinated horse blood. Tween 80 is added to encourage the growth of anaerobic streptococci.