Improvement of mannitol lysine crystal violet brilliant green agar for the selective isolation of H2S-positive Salmonella.

Mannitol lysine crystal violet brilliant green agar (MLCB) is widely used in Japan for Salmonella isolation because the medium has been commercially available. Colonies of Salmonella on MLCB appear colorless with black centers due to H 2 S gas production; however, most Citrobacter freundii also produce H 2 S gas. In order to distinguish H 2 S-positive Salmonella from C. freundii we have improved MLCB. To MLCB was added 1% lactose (L-MLCB). The relation for pH and black center colony formation was examined. The pH of MLCB and L-MLCB inoculated with Salmonella species was slightly acid after 7 h, but the pH of L-MLCB inoculated with C. freundii did not become acid for 24 h. The colony of C. freundii did not have a black center because the production of acid from lactose lowers the pH below 10 where it is needed for H 2 S to react with iron to produce black pigments. Of 99 Salmonella strains including 13 serotypes tested, all strains had the same colony morphologies on MLCB and L-MLCB. When MLCB and L-MLCB were evaluated with 36 C. freundii strains isolated from foods, only colonies on MLCB had black centers. We conclude that L-MLCB is useful for detection of nonlactose-fermenting, H 2 S-positive Salmonella in food samples.