Description

INTENDED USE

Baird-Parker Agar Base is used with EY (Egg Yolk) Tellurite Enrichment in the preparation of Egg-Tellurite-Glycerine-Pyruvate Agar (ETGPA) for selective isolation and enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci from food, skin, soil, air and other materials. It may also be used for identification of staphylococci on the basis of their ability to clear egg yolk.

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION

A number of culture media had been utilized for the recovery of staphylococci from foods prior to the development of a new formulation by Baird-Parker in 1962. This scientist subsequently published additional results on the efficacy of the medium for the recovery of coagulase-positive staphylococci. In 1971, Tardio and Baer and Baer reported on the results of a study comparing 18 staphylococcal isolation media in which they concluded that Baird-Parker Agar should be substituted for Vogel and Johnson Agar in the official AOAC procedure for the isolation and enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, it was shown that Baird-Parker Agar was less inhibitory than Vogel and Johnson Agar for selected strains of S. aureus and that it possesses a diagnostic aid (egg yolk reaction) not present in Vogel and Johnson Agar. The use of Baird-Parker Agar subsequently was officially adopted by AOAC International.

PRINCIPLE

Baird-Parker Agar Base contains peptone, beef extract and yeast extract as sources of nitrogenous compounds, carbon, sulfur, vitamins and trace minerals. Sodium pyruvate is incorporated in order to stimulate the growth of S. aureus without destroying the selectivity. The tellurite additive is toxic to egg yolk-clearing strains other than S. aureus and imparts a black color to the colonies. The egg yolk additive, in addition to being an enrichment, aids in the identification process by demonstrating lecithinase activity (egg yolk reaction). Glycine and lithium chloride have inhibitory action for organisms other than S. aureus.