Sabouraud agar or Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) is a type of

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori ('' Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" ('' Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar ...

growth medium containing

peptone Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A p ...

s. It is used to cultivate

dermatophytes Dermatophyte (from Greek '' derma'' "skin" ( GEN ''dermatos'') and ''phyton'' "plant") is a common label for a group of fungus of '' Arthrodermataceae'' that commonly causes skin disease in animals and humans. Traditionally, these anamorphic ( ...

and other types of

fungi A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...

, and can also grow filamentous bacteria such as ''

Nocardia ''Nocardia'' is a genus of weakly staining Gram-positive, catalase-positive, rod-shaped bacteria. It forms partially acid-fast beaded branching filaments (acting as fungi, but being truly bacteria). It contains a total of 85 species. Some spec ...

''. It has utility for research and clinical care. It was created by, and is named after,

Raymond Sabouraud Raymond Jacques Adrien Sabouraud (24 November 1864 – 4 February 1938) was a French physician born in Nantes. He specialized in dermatology and mycology, and was also an accomplished painter and sculptor. He studied medicine in Nantes and Par ...

in 1892. In 1977 the formulation was adjusted by Chester W. Emmons when the pH level was brought closer to the neutral range and the dextrose concentration lowered to support the growth of other microorganisms. The acidic pH (5.6) of traditional Sabouraud agar inhibits bacterial growth.

Typical composition

Sabouraud agar is commercially available and typically contains:

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public university, public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one o ...

''Recipes''
* 40 g/L

dextrose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, usin ...

* 10 g/L

* 20 g/L

* pH 5.6

Medical Use

Clinical laboratories can use this growth medium to diagnose and further speciate fungal infections, allowing medical professionals to provide appropriate treatment with

antifungal An antifungal medication, also known as an antimycotic medication, is a pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycosis such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis (thrush), serious systemic infections such as cry ...

medications.

Histoplasma ''Histoplasma'' is a genus of dimorphic fungi commonly found in bird and bat fecal material. ''Histoplasma'' contains a few species, including—'' Histoplasma capsulatum''—the causative agent of histoplasmosis; and ''Histoplasma capsulatum v ...

and other fungal causes of atypical

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

can be grown on this medium.

References

* Microbiological media {{Microbiology-stub