Description

INTENDED USE

XLD Agar is the complete Xylose Lysine Desoxycholate Agar, a moderately selective medium recommended for isolation and differentiation of enteric pathogens, especially Shigella species.

SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION

A wide variety of media have been developed to aid in the selective isolation and differentiation of enteric pathogens. Due to the large numbers of different microbial species and strains with varying nutritional requirements and chemical resistance patterns, investigators have developed various formulae to meet general as well as specific needs relative to isolation and identification of the microorganisms.

XLD Agar was developed by Taylor in order to increase the efficiency of the isolation and identification of enteric pathogens, particularly Shigella. The pathogens are differentiated not only from the nonpathogenic lactose fermenters but also from many nonpathogens which do not ferment lactose or sucrose. Additionally, the medium was formulated to increase the frequency of growth of the more fastidious pathogens, which in other formulations have often failed to grow due to the inclusion of excessively toxic inhibitors. The results obtained in a number of clinical evaluations have supported the claim for the relatively high efficiency of XLD Agar in the primary isolation of Shigella and Salmonella.

XLD Agar is a selective and differential medium used for the isolation and differentiation of enteric pathogens from clinical specimens. The value of XLD Agar in the clinical laboratory is that the medium is more supportive of fastidious enteric organisms such as Shigella. XLD Agar is also recommended for the testing of food, dairy products and water in various industrial standard test methods.

PRINCIPLE

Xylose is incorporated into the medium because it is fermented by practically all enterics except for the shigellae. This property enables the differentiation of Shigella species. Lysine is included to enable the Salmonella group to be differentiated from the nonpathogens. Without lysine, Salmonella rapidly would ferment the xylose and be indistinguishable from nonpathogenic species. After the Salmonella exhaust the supply of xylose, the lysine is attacked via the enzyme lysine decarboxylase, with reversion to an alkaline pH, which mimics the Shigella reaction. To prevent similar reversion by lysine-positive coliforms, lactose and sucrose (saccharose) are added to produce acid in excess. Degradation of xylose, lactose and sucrose generates acid products, which in the presence of the pH indicator phenol red, causes a color change in the medium from red to yellow.

To add to the differentiating ability of the formulation, an H₂S indicator system, consisting of sodium thiosulfate and ferric ammonium citrate, is included for the visualization of the hydrogen sulfide produced, resulting in the formation of colonies with black centers. The nonpathogenic H₂S producers do not decarboxylate lysine; therefore, the acid reaction produced by them prevents the blackening of the colonies. Sodium chloride maintains the osmotic balance. Yeast extract supplies B-complex vitamins which stimulate bacterial growth. Agar is the solidifying agent.

XLD Agar is both a selective and differential medium. It utilizes sodium desoxycholate as the selective agent and, therefore, it is inhibitory to gram-positive microorganisms.