Potato Dextrose Agar (EP) - BioReagent

Cat. No.: P1528394

GRADE & PURITY BioReagent

Storage

Room temperature

Shipped In

Normal

Panoramica

For mold and yeast testing. Preparation method: Weigh 40.0 g of this product in 1 L of purified water, stir and heat to boiling until completely dissolved, dispense, autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes, and set aside for use.

Specifications

Specifiche e purezza

BioReagent

Condizioni di conservazione di stoccaggio

Room temperature

Spedito in

Normal

Grado

BioReagent

Product Line

Prodotti biologici

Application Protocols

General protocols below are literature-based guidance for PDA use; adjust per your SOPs and regulatory requirements.

A. Preparation of PDA plates (literature)

• Weigh ~39 g of dehydrated PDA per 1 L of purified water into a heat-resistant flask.
• Stir and heat to near boiling until fully dissolved; avoid scorching.
• Autoclave at 121 °C for ~15 min. Cool to 45–50 °C.
• Optionally add antibiotics/acid supplements aseptically at this stage (if required by method).
• Pour 18–22 mL per 90 mm Petri dish. Allow to solidify; dry plates (closed, slightly ajar lids in biosafety cabinet) to remove surface moisture. Store at 2–8 °C inverted in sealed sleeves if not used immediately (prepared plates guidance; item storage for dehydrated powder is room temperature as per Product Data).

B. Enumeration by pour plate (literature)

• Prepare serial dilutions of sample in appropriate diluent.
• Pipette aliquot into sterile Petri dish; add ~15 mL molten PDA (~45–50 °C), swirl gently.
• Incubate inverted at 22–25 °C (molds) or 28–30 °C (yeasts) for appropriate time.
• Count colonies (CFU) on plates with 30–300 colonies; multiply by dilution factor.

C. Surface spread method (literature)

• Spread 0.1 mL of dilution on pre-poured PDA using a sterile spreader; allow absorption; incubate as above.

Include controls: sterility control plate; positive control with a reference strain for growth promotion verification.

Biological Roles

PDA functions as a nutrient platform enabling the growth of fungi and yeasts by providing accessible carbon, nitrogen, minerals, and a solid surface for colony development.

Component roles (general/literature)

• Dextrose (D-glucose): Readily metabolized carbon and energy source feeding glycolysis and downstream pathways (e.g., TCA cycle, fermentation in yeasts).
• Potato infusion/peptone fraction: Supplies amino acids/peptides, B-vitamins, and micronutrients that support biomass accumulation and secondary metabolism in many filamentous fungi.
• Agar: An inert, non-nutritive polysaccharide that forms a thermo-reversible gel, providing a semi-solid matrix and defined surface for colony isolation. Agar is not typically metabolized by most fungi/yeasts (literature), preserving medium integrity during incubation.

Functional characteristics

• The slightly acidic pH typical of PDA (literature) suppresses many bacteria while favoring fungi, improving selectivity for mold/yeast recovery from mixed samples.
• PDA supports development of diagnostic colony morphologies (pigmentation, texture, exudate) useful in research identification workflows (non-diagnostic, research-only context).

Limitations

• Non-selective for fungi vs yeasts unless supplemented with antibiotics or acid; bacteria may still grow under some conditions.
• Nutrient profile is complex/undefined; not suitable for studies requiring chemically defined media.

Buffer Applications

Not typically applicable. Potato Dextrose Agar is a complex culture medium, not a buffering reagent. It does not serve as a defined buffer system for titrations, electrophoresis, or biochemical assays.

For pH control in microbial workflows:

• Use defined buffers (e.g., citrate, phosphate) prepared separately if your protocol requires precise pH stabilization.
• PDA’s intrinsic pH (literature: approx. 5.6 after sterilization) is part of its growth characteristics but is not intended as a buffering system.

Green Alternatives

PDA is already plant-derived (potato infusion, dextrose) with agar from renewable marine biomass. Sustainability considerations focus on energy/water use and responsible sourcing, rather than replacement of hazardous solvents.

Strategies (general)

• Energy reduction: Batch-prepare and autoclave full loads; use validated cycle times to avoid over-processing.
• Material efficiency: Prepare only the volume required; consider broth (PDB) when plates are unnecessary to reduce agar use.
• Sourcing: Prefer agar derived from responsibly harvested red algae; document vendor sustainability practices.
• Waste minimization: Optimize plate pour volumes (e.g., 18–22 mL per 90 mm plate, literature) to reduce excess.

Comparison (literature/general)

• PDA vs MEA vs SDA
  • PDA: Plant-based carbon source; good for general fungi; acidic pH; widely used in food/environmental labs.
  • MEA: Malt extract supports sporulation; similar sustainability profile; may be preferable for taxonomy.
  • SDA: Often peptone-rich; animal-derived components may reduce sustainability score; provides robust fungal growth in some contexts.

Trade-offs

• Lower-temperature incubation (22–25 °C) for molds saves energy vs 30–37 °C incubations; however, growth rates slow and turnaround time increases.
• Ready-to-use plates reduce localized energy use but increase packaging/transport footprint. In-house preparation can be greener if autoclaves are efficiently loaded.

Pharmaceutical Uses

No therapeutic claims. PDA is used in laboratory and quality control contexts.

Pharmacopeial/QC context (general)

• PDA or related fungal media are widely used for growth promotion tests (GPT), suitability, and microbial enumeration tests for non-sterile products under pharmacopeial frameworks (e.g., EP/USP/JP). The “EP” designation in this product’s name indicates intended alignment with European Pharmacopoeia concepts for media suitability; specific acceptance criteria for this item are Not specified; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Typical roles (research/QC use only)

• Recovery and enumeration of yeasts and molds in raw materials, in-process samples, and environmental monitoring programs.
• Media suitability checks when validating methods for microbial limits tests, including verification that the medium supports specified challenge strains.

Operational considerations

• Document each lot’s CoA parameters (pH of prepared medium, GPT organisms/recovery if provided) in the QC system.
• For method verification/validation, demonstrate equivalency of growth relative to a qualified reference medium per EP/USP guidance.
• Maintain traceability of preparation (weighing records, autoclave cycles, plate lot numbers) in regulated settings.

Note: All uses are for laboratory research/QC only, not for clinical diagnosis or treatment.

Physical Properties

As a dehydrated medium mixture, PDA does not have a single set of compound-specific constants. Values below are general/literature characteristics for typical Potato Dextrose Agar and its reconstituted form; they are not item specifications.

• Appearance (dehydrated): Typically beige to light tan free-flowing powder (literature). Item-specific appearance: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Solubility (literature)
  • Dispersible in water; agar dissolves fully upon heating to near boiling and during autoclaving.
  • Insoluble in organic solvents.
• pH (literature, after preparation): Commonly ~5.6 ± 0.2 at 25 °C (after autoclaving and cooling). Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet for exact acceptance range, if any.
• Gel characteristics (literature)
  • Agar melting temperature: typically ~85–90 °C; gelation on cooling around ~32–40 °C.
  • Final gel is firm at room temperature at standard use concentrations (≈15 g/L agar within the complete medium).
• Density/bulk density (dehydrated): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Refractive index, logP, pKa, UV cutoff: Not applicable/Not defined for this complex medium.

Practical notes

• Reconstitution is usually performed at ~39 g/L in purified water (literature-typical for PDA); heat with stirring to dissolve, then sterilize by autoclaving.
• Viscosity increases markedly near full agar dissolution; boiling-over risk—use appropriately sized glassware.

Quality and Grades

• Item-specific information

  • Grade: BioReagent (Product Data)
  • Designation: Potato Dextrose Agar (EP) — the EP qualifier indicates alignment with European Pharmacopoeia expectations for microbiological culture media in quality control contexts. Exact acceptance criteria for this item are Not specified; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

• What BioReagent grade implies (general)

  • Suitable for research and laboratory workflows, with attention to lot-to-lot consistency, low bioburden prior to use, and performance suitable for microbial culture after sterilization.

• EP context (general, literature)

  • EP and other pharmacopoeias specify performance-based criteria for culture media, commonly including growth promotion tests (GPT), inhibition/indicative properties, and pH within a defined range.
  • Typical GPT organisms for PDA or related fungal media include Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp.; acceptance is based on comparable recovery and colony characteristics versus a reference batch.

• What to check on receipt (practical)

  • CoA parameters: pH of prepared medium, appearance (dehydrated and prepared), growth promotion results, sterility test, and fill/gel strength (if applicable).
  • Lot traceability and recommended preparation rate (g/L) for this specific formulation.

• Stabilizers/additives

  • PDA generally contains no chemical preservatives; the dehydrated powder is stable when dry. Any stabilizers or selective additives for this item are Not specified; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Reaction and Applications

This product is not used as a chemical reagent for synthetic reactions. Instead, its primary applications are in microbiology and mycology.

Key research and laboratory applications (general/literature)

• Cultivation and enumeration of yeasts and molds from environmental, food, beverage, agricultural, and industrial samples.
• Quality control (QC) and environmental monitoring: settle plates, contact plates (if poured onto appropriate carriers), and surface swab recovery.
• Morphology and sporulation studies: PDA often enhances pigmentation and sporulation for many filamentous fungi.
• Fungal biomaterial production (research): preliminary maintenance of strains used for enzyme, metabolite, or biomaterial studies (non-clinical, research-only).

Practical tips

• Thoroughly mix the dehydrated medium before weighing to ensure homogeneity.
• Heat with stirring to fully dissolve agar; avoid local scorching.
• Autoclave according to your facility SOP (e.g., 121 °C); allow to cool to ~45–50 °C before pouring plates to minimize condensation and to enable addition of heat-labile supplements.
• For enumeration, plate appropriate serial dilutions (spread or pour plate methods) and incubate at temperatures suited to the target organisms (e.g., yeasts ~28–30 °C, molds ~22–25 °C; literature guidance).
• Record colony morphology, pigmentation, and CFU counts following relevant standards (e.g., ISO/EP/USP methods as applicable to your lab).

Reaction Conditions

Not applicable for chemical reactions. For microbiological cultivation, the following incubation conditions are general literature guidance, not item specifications:

• Preparation (literature)
  • Typical reconstitution: ~39 g of PDA per 1 L purified water. Heat to dissolve; autoclave at 121 °C for ~15 minutes. Cool to ~45–50 °C before pouring plates or adding heat-labile supplements.
• Incubation temperatures (representative)
  • Yeasts: 28–30 °C for 24–48 h (longer for slow growers).
  • Molds: 22–25 °C for 3–5 days; some species require up to 7–10 days for full colony development and sporulation.
• Atmosphere
  • Aerobic incubation; plates inverted to minimize condensation. Humidity control reduces plate drying during prolonged incubations.
• Expected outcomes (general)
  • Well-separated colonies with morphology suitable for enumeration and observation. Acidic baseline pH aids selectivity for fungi versus many bacteria.

Always follow your laboratory SOPs, regulatory guidance, and organism-specific literature for definitive conditions.

Safety and Handling

Hazard classification and GHS details are not provided for this specific item; always consult the product SDS for authoritative information.

• GHS information (item-specific)
  • Signal word: Not specified for this item; refer to SDS.
  • Hazard statements, pictograms, classification: Not specified for this item; refer to SDS.
• General safe handling (for dehydrated media)
  • Avoid dust generation; airborne dusts may be nuisance particulates and, in some cases, present combustible dust hazards. Use local exhaust/HEPA where appropriate.
  • Wear suitable PPE: lab coat, safety glasses, disposable gloves. Avoid inhalation and contact with eyes/skin.
  • When preparing hot media, use heat-resistant gloves and eye protection. Agar solutions can superheat and bump—heat with stirring and avoid sealed containers.
• Incompatibilities
  • Strong oxidizers may degrade organic components. Avoid contamination with strong acids/alkalis if pH control is not intended.
  • Do not add heat-labile supplements (e.g., antibiotics) prior to autoclaving; add aseptically after cooling to ~45–50 °C.
• Microbiological safety
  • Once inoculated, materials can contain viable microorganisms. Treat as biohazard according to your biosafety level protocols. Decontaminate spent plates by autoclaving prior to disposal.
• First-aid (general guidance)
  • Inhalation of dust: move to fresh air; seek medical attention if irritation persists.
  • Eye contact: rinse cautiously with water for several minutes; remove contact lenses if present and easy to do.
  • Skin contact: wash with soap and water.

Storage per Product Data: Room temperature; keep tightly closed, dry, and away from moisture to prevent clumping and pre-gelation.

Solvent Selection

Not a solvent-choosing scenario: Potato Dextrose Agar is a dehydrated medium intended to be reconstituted in water. Selection focuses on water quality and compatibility with intended supplements.

• Reconstitution medium (practical guidance)

  • Use purified/distilled/deionized water compliant with your laboratory’s microbiology standards (e.g., ASTM/ISO Type 2 or better). Avoid high levels of residual chlorine or chelators that may affect growth.
  • Do not prepare in saline unless protocol specifically requires it; ionic strength changes can affect gel and microbial growth.

• Miscibility and preparation (general)

  • Components disperse readily in cold water; full dissolution of agar requires heating to near boil followed by sterilization (e.g., autoclave). The prepared medium is an aqueous gel; not miscible with hydrophobic liquids.

• When to choose PDA vs alternatives (general)

  • PDA: Broad support for yeasts and molds; slightly acidic pH enhances fungal recovery from environmental/food samples.
  • Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA): Higher peptone content; often used for clinical mycology and antifungal susceptibility testing (research-only context here).
  • Malt Extract Agar (MEA): Favorable for mold sporulation and taxonomy work.

• Supplementation

  • For selective applications, antibiotics (e.g., chloramphenicol, streptomycin) are commonly added to suppress bacteria—add aseptically after cooling to ~45–50 °C (literature).

Storage and Reconstitution

• Item-specific storage

  • Storage Conditions: Room temperature (Product Data).
  • Shipped In: Normal (Product Data).
  • Keep container tightly closed and dry. Protect from humidity to prevent clumping and premature gelling. Reseal promptly after use; consider desiccant in secondary containment.

• Shelf-life and stability

  • Specific expiry and retest periods are Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet and product label.

• Reconstitution (literature guidance; not an item specification)

  • Typical use concentration: ~39 g/L in purified water for PDA.
  • Dissolve with heat and stirring; autoclave at 121 °C for ~15 minutes.
  • Cool to 45–50 °C before pouring plates or adding heat-labile supplements (e.g., antibiotics, dyes).
  • For broth use (PDB), omit agar by preparing the corresponding broth formulation if available.

• Prepared media handling (general)

  • Store poured plates inverted in sealed sleeves at 2–8 °C; allow plates to equilibrate to room temperature and dry surface condensation before use (prepared-plate guidance; not specific to dehydrated product storage).
  • Avoid repeated melt–cool cycles; each cycle can alter gel strength and water content.

• Research Use Note: For research use only (Product Data).

Structure and Identity

Potato Dextrose Agar (EP) is a dehydrated, complex microbiological medium formulated for cultivation and enumeration of yeasts and molds. It is a mixture, not a single defined chemical entity; therefore, discrete molecular identifiers are not applicable.

• Item-specific identifiers
  • CAS: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
  • InChIKey: Not applicable (mixture).
  • SMILES: Not applicable (mixture).
  • Molecular formula / molecular weight: Not applicable to the mixture; Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
• Structural/functional features (general, literature)
  • Complex, undefined composition derived from plant materials and carbohydrates; typical PDA contains:
    • Potato infusion/peptones (source of nitrogen, vitamins, minerals)
    • Dextrose (glucose; primary carbon/energy source)
    • Agar (polysaccharide gelling agent from red algae)
  • No stereochemical descriptors are relevant to the medium as a whole; dextrose is D-glucose (literature) and agar is a heterogeneous galactose-based polymer (agarose + agaropectin).
• Form description in 2D words (general)
  • PDA is supplied as a fine, free-flowing, light-colored dehydrated powder intended to dissolve/dispense in water, sterilize, then solidify into a translucent gel plate due to agar polymer helix formation upon cooling.

Notes

• “EP” in the product name denotes conformance to European Pharmacopoeia concepts for microbiological media (general), but exact specification acceptance criteria for this item are Not specified; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

Synthetic Utility

Not applicable. Potato Dextrose Agar is not a chemical building block or reagent for organic synthesis.

• It does not participate in named organic reactions, cross-couplings, or stoichiometric transformations.
• For laboratories seeking carbohydrate sources or gelling agents for chemical applications, consider purchasing pure D-glucose or agar/agarose separately with specifications appropriate to the intended chemical use.

Target Specificity

This section is not applicable. Potato Dextrose Agar is not an antibody, probe, or targeted binding reagent. It is a general-purpose medium supporting a broad range of fungi and yeasts.

• Item-specific target details (antigen/epitope/clone/isotype): Not applicable.