Mueller-Hinton Agar - BioReagent

Cat. No.: M1528494

GRADE & PURITY BioReagent

Storage

Room temperature

Shipped In

Normal

Panoramica

For bacterial antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Specifications

Specifiche e purezza

BioReagent

Condizioni di conservazione di stoccaggio

Room temperature

Spedito in

Normal

Grado

BioReagent

Product Line

Prodotti biologici

Application Protocols

The following protocols are general literature guidance for Mueller-Hinton Agar. They are not item-specific instructions; confirm against your method and this product’s label.

• A. Preparation of Mueller-Hinton Agar plates (literature):
  • Weigh the recommended medium powder (commonly ~38 g per liter; not item-specific) and add to purified water. Heat with stirring to dissolve completely.
  • Autoclave at 121 C for 15 min. Cool to 45–50 C. Optionally check pH (~7.2–7.4 at 25 C).
  • Pour into sterile Petri dishes to a uniform depth (~4 mm; ~20–25 mL for 90–100 mm plates). Allow to solidify and dry surface moisture before use.
• B. Disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility test (literature):
  • Prepare a 0.5 McFarland inoculum of the test organism. Swab evenly in three directions to create a lawn.
  • Apply antibiotic disks within 15 min of inoculation; invert and incubate at 35 ± 2 C for 16–18 h unless otherwise specified.
  • Measure inhibition zones to the nearest millimeter and interpret per your selected standard’s breakpoints.
• C. Quality control (literature):
  • Test QC strains (e.g., E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923) to verify zone ranges per the governing standard.

All uses are for research purposes only.

Biological Roles

Mueller-Hinton Agar functions as a nutrient and physical support matrix for microbial growth; it does not exert a biological role in vivo. Its biological relevance is operational in vitro.

• Functional roles in culture (literature/general):
  • Nutritional support: Casein hydrolysate and beef infusion supply peptides, amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates, vitamins, and trace minerals to support growth of nonfastidious bacteria.
  • Diffusion medium: Agar provides a porous gel enabling radial diffusion of antimicrobial agents from disks, establishing concentration gradients for zone-of-inhibition analysis.
  • Detoxification: Starch can adsorb bacterial metabolites/toxins that may otherwise inhibit growth, contributing to consistent AST outcomes.
• Performance determinants:
  • Divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+) and pH influence antimicrobial activity and diffusion; standardized ranges are specified by testing guidelines (literature). Variations can alter susceptibility readouts.
  • Surface moisture and agar depth affect colony morphology and diffusion profiles; consistent plate preparation is essential.

Note: This product is for research use only. It is not intended for clinical diagnosis, treatment, or any use in humans or animals.

Buffer Applications

This product is a complex culture medium rather than a defined buffering reagent. Dedicated buffer applications are not typical.

• Context (literature/general):
  • Mueller-Hinton Agar exhibits limited intrinsic buffering capacity around neutral pH due to peptides and phosphates present in the complex mixture, but it is not used as a primary buffer system.
  • For experiments requiring strict pH control, prepare and sterilize a defined buffer (e.g., phosphate, MOPS) separately and use appropriate media designed for buffering.

For pH-critical applications, consult validated buffer recipes and avoid relying on complex media to maintain tight pH ranges.

Green Alternatives

While “green alternatives” typically refer to solvent choices, for culture media sustainability considerations focus on preparation practices, waste minimization, and energy use.

• Greener practice options (literature/general):
  • Prepare only the volume needed to reduce autoclave cycles and media waste. Use energy-efficient autoclaves and consolidate sterilization runs.
  • Employ reusable glassware (bottles, Petri dishes when appropriate) to reduce single-use plastics; validate sterilization effectiveness.
  • Optimize plate inventory management to minimize expired plates; store at recommended temperatures to extend usability.
  • Consider broth-based susceptibility testing (where methodologically acceptable) to reduce agar consumption and solid waste.
• Comparison (conceptual):
  • Dehydrated media (this product) vs. ready-to-use plates: Dehydrated media reduce shipping weight/volume and packaging waste but require in-house sterilization energy and labor. Ready-to-use plates save energy in the lab and improve consistency but increase packaging and cold-chain logistics.
• Chemical footprint:
  • Avoid unnecessary supplements or dyes unless method-required. Source water via on-site purification to reduce bottled water transport.

Choose the practice that best balances method compliance, reproducibility, and your lab’s sustainability goals.

Pharmaceutical Uses

No therapeutic or clinical claims are made. In research and quality environments, Mueller-Hinton Agar is widely used as a process/material for analytical microbiology (not a drug substance or excipient).

• Typical roles in pharma/biotech QC and R&D (literature/general):
  • Antibiotic potency and activity studies using disk diffusion or agar dilution methods.
  • Environmental monitoring organism recovery studies (nonfastidious aerobes) and disinfectant efficacy assessments.
  • Method development and training for antimicrobial susceptibility techniques per recognized standards (e.g., CLSI/ISO guidance; confirm current method requirements).
• Compendial context:
  • Mueller-Hinton media are referenced in various standards and methods for antimicrobial testing; verify current pharmacopeial or standards body requirements for your specific application. This listing provides no certification claims.

All uses are limited to laboratory research or quality investigation contexts. Not for use in diagnostic procedures or as a component in medicinal products.

Physical Properties

For complex media, item-specific physicochemical constants (bp/mp, density, etc.) are not defined for the mixture.

• Appearance (as sold): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Molecular Weight / Formula: Not applicable to a mixture; not specified for this item.
• Solubility: Freely soluble in water as a mixture (general, literature), forming a solution/colloid that gels upon cooling after sterilization due to agar.
• pH (prepared medium): Typical literature values for Mueller-Hinton Agar after autoclaving and cooling are around pH 7.2–7.4 at 25 C (literature; not item-specific).
• Gelling behavior (literature): Agar component melts near 85–90 C and gels upon cooling around 35–40 C; gel strength depends on formulation and concentration.
• Optical properties: Prepared plates are generally clear to slightly hazy; low natural fluorescence; UV cutoff not defined (mixture).
• Other constants (bp, mp, density, refractive index, logP, pKa): Not applicable/not defined for this complex medium; not specified for this item.

Note: Always verify preparation parameters (mass per liter, pH) on the product’s label/Spec Sheet for this specific lot.

Quality and Grades

• Item-specific grade: BioReagent.
  • Meaning: BioReagent grade typically indicates suitability for biological research applications, with controlled levels of impurities and performance characteristics relevant to microbiology workflows. However, exact impurity limits and performance specs are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Performance considerations for Mueller-Hinton Agar (general, literature):
  • Consistent calcium and magnesium content is important for reproducible antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), as divalent cations influence aminoglycoside and tetracycline activity.
  • Adequate starch content can neutralize toxic metabolites and promote robust growth of nonfastidious bacteria.
  • Agar quality affects gel strength and diffusion properties for disk diffusion tests.
• Lot qualification (best practice):
  • Verify growth promotion for representative organisms (e.g., E. coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 25923), and antimicrobial susceptibility performance with QC strains per CLSI/ISO methods (literature guidance).
• Stabilizers/additives: Not specified for this item.
• UV absorbance/LC specs, metal limits, peroxide content, etc.: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Conclusion: BioReagent designation indicates research-grade suitability; use your lab’s QC to confirm fitness for purpose, especially for standardized AST.

Reaction and Applications

Chemical reaction applications are not applicable to this product. Instead, its relevance is in microbiology workflows (research use only) where controlled nutrient composition and agar diffusion properties are critical.

• Core research applications (literature/general):
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) by disk diffusion (Kirby–Bauer) following CLSI/ISO/EUCAST-style methodologies. The medium’s composition supports uniform growth and reproducible antimicrobial diffusion.
  • General cultivation and subculture of nonfastidious aerobic bacteria for routine microbiology, strain maintenance, and colony morphology assessment.
  • Quality control of antibiotics and disinfectants in research/industrial labs (e.g., zone-of-inhibition assays), and educational microbiology practicals.
• Practical tips:
  • Prepare plates to a uniform depth (commonly ~4 mm; literature) to ensure consistent diffusion and zone sizes. Allow plates to dry surface moisture before applying disks.
  • Control cation content and pH by adhering to the manufacturer’s formulation; avoid supplementing unless a method specifies it.
  • Use freshly prepared plates or plates stored appropriately to minimize variability due to drying or pH drift.

All uses are for laboratory research and method development; no clinical diagnostic use is implied or claimed.

Reaction Conditions

Chemical reaction conditions are not applicable. The relevant “conditions” pertain to media preparation and microbiological testing workflows (literature/general guidance):

• Media preparation (typical literature parameters; verify label for this item):
  • Mass per liter: Commonly ~38 g/L for standard Mueller-Hinton Agar formulations (literature; not item-specific).
  • Dissolve in purified water with heat and agitation; autoclave at 121 C for 15 minutes. Cool to 45–50 C and pour plates to ~4 mm depth on level surfaces.
  • Final pH after sterilization: Typically ~7.3 ± 0.1 at 25 C (literature; not item-specific).
• AST plate conditions (literature):
  • Dry plates to remove surface moisture before applying antimicrobial disks. Incubate inoculated plates in ambient air at 35 ± 2 C for 16–18 h unless method specifies otherwise.
  • Use standardized inoculum (e.g., 0.5 McFarland), lawn inoculation, and calibrated disks. Measure zones with a calibrated ruler or automated reader per method.

Note: These are general literature norms. For this specific item, any guaranteed parameters are Not specified; refer to the product label/CoA and your governing test standard (CLSI/ISO/EUCAST) for definitive conditions.

Safety and Handling

• GHS/SDS information: Signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, and classification are not specified for this item; consult the product SDS for authoritative guidance.
• General laboratory precautions (good practice for dehydrated media):
  • Avoid inhalation of dust; handle powders in a fume hood or with local exhaust. Use appropriate PPE: lab coat, safety glasses, and nitrile gloves.
  • Prevent contact with eyes/skin; wash thoroughly after handling.
  • Hygiene: Do not eat/drink in lab; decontaminate work surfaces after use.
• Microbiological safety:
  • Prepared media support microbial growth. Treat all inoculated media as biohazardous. Follow BSL-appropriate procedures and autoclave waste prior to disposal.
• Thermal/pressure hazards:
  • Sterilize by autoclaving in vented containers. Do not seal vessels during autoclaving. Allow pressure to normalize before opening to prevent boil-over and burns.
• Incompatibilities (general):
  • Strong oxidizers and reactive chemicals may degrade organic components. Avoid contamination with antimicrobial residues that could affect susceptibility testing.
• First-aid overview (non-authoritative):
  • Inhalation of dust: Move to fresh air; seek medical attention if symptoms persist.
  • Eye/skin contact: Rinse with water for several minutes; remove contaminated clothing.

Always defer to the SDS and institutional biosafety protocols for definitive safety measures.

Solvent Selection

This product is a dehydrated culture medium intended to be dissolved in water; typical organic solvent selection is not applicable.

• Primary solvent (applicable):
  • Ultrapure or deionized water is used to dissolve the powder and prepare plates or deep media. Water quality should meet microbiological media preparation standards; avoid residual chlorine or antimicrobial contaminants.
• Preparation considerations (literature/general):
  • Dissolution is facilitated by heating with stirring. Agar fully dissolves near boiling; avoid scorching. After dissolution, sterilize by autoclaving and cool to 45–50 C before pouring plates.
  • Adjustments to salinity or divalent cations are generally not performed for standard MHA used in disk diffusion; use as-is per specification label when available.
• When to choose Mueller-Hinton Agar vs alternatives (literature):
  • Choose MHA for nonfastidious bacterial cultivation and standardized antimicrobial susceptibility testing (Kirby–Bauer/CLSI). Consider Mueller-Hinton Broth for broth microdilution MIC testing; use supplemented media (e.g., with 5% defibrinated sheep blood) for certain fastidious organisms under specific standards.

Note: Follow the mass-per-liter and pH directions printed on the label for this specific item (Not specified here; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet).

Storage and Reconstitution

• Item-specific storage: Room temperature (as provided in Product Data). Protect from moisture and microbial contamination; keep container tightly closed.
• Shipping: Normal (as provided in Product Data).
• Shelf life: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Reconstitution (general, literature guidance; verify label for this item):
  • Typical use concentration for Mueller-Hinton Agar is around 38 g per liter of purified water (literature; not item-specific). Heat with stirring to dissolve; sterilize by autoclaving at 121 C for 15 min.
  • After autoclaving, cool to 45–50 C before pouring to avoid condensation and to preserve supplement integrity if any are added (supplements not specified for this item).
  • For storage of prepared plates: Commonly 2–8 C in sealed bags to prevent desiccation; bring to room temperature and dry surface before use (literature; not item-specific). Specific storage conditions for prepared media are Not specified for this item.
• Freeze–thaw: Not applicable to dehydrated powder; avoid freezing prepared agar plates due to gel damage.

Always consult the product label and lot-specific CoA/Spec Sheet for definitive instructions for this item (M1528494).

Structure and Identity

Mueller-Hinton Agar (MHA) is a complex, dehydrated culture medium blend for microbial cultivation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing; it is not a single chemical entity.

• Item identity (product-specific):
  • SKU: M1528494
  • Product Name: Mueller-Hinton Agar
  • Grade: BioReagent
  • CAS, CID, InChIKey, SMILES: Not applicable to complex media; not specified for this item.
  • Molecular Formula / Molecular Weight: Not applicable to complex media; not specified for this item.
• Structural features (general, literature):
  • Composition is typically a mixture of protein hydrolysate (e.g., casein acid hydrolysate), beef infusion/peptone, starch, and agar as the gel matrix. These are macromolecular/complex mixtures without a single defined 2D structure.
  • Functional classes present include polysaccharides (agar), peptides/amino acids (hydrolysates), and carbohydrates; no stereochemically defined single molecule.
• Practical description in words:
  • A dehydrated powder blend that, upon dissolution in purified water and sterilization, solidifies to a clear to slightly opalescent gel surface suitable for confluent bacterial growth and standardized diffusion of antimicrobial agents (literature/general).

Synthetic Utility

Not applicable. Mueller-Hinton Agar is a biological culture medium, not a synthetic reagent or building block.

• If your project involves chemical synthesis:
  • Refer to relevant sections for solvents, catalysts, and reagents tailored to your transformation. This medium lacks defined functional groups with predictable synthetic reactivity and should not be used as a substitute for chemical reagents.
• Where it is relevant:
  • Use MHA to culture and phenotype microbial strains that may be producers of target enzymes or metabolites subsequently used in biocatalysis or screening (research context), but not within a chemical reaction flask.

See Reaction & Applications and Application Protocols for practical microbiology-focused guidance.

Target Specificity

Not applicable. This product is not an antibody, probe, or targeted binding reagent. It is a nonspecific culture medium that supports growth of many nonfastidious bacteria (literature/general) without species or epitope specificity.