Cetrimide Agar Medium - BioReagent

Cat. No.: C1528328

GRADE & PURITY BioReagent

Storage

Room temperature

Shipped In

Normal

Vue d’ensemble

For selective isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Specifications

Spécifications et pureté

BioReagent

Conditions de stockage de stockage

Room temperature

Expédié en

Normal

Grade

BioReagent

Product Line

biological_products

Application Protocols

General laboratory protocol (literature guidance; not a specification for this item):

1. Preparation of plates

• Weigh the dehydrated medium per the mass-per-liter on the product label/CoA; add to the corresponding volume of purified water with stirring.
• Heat to dissolve completely. Adjust pH only if directed by the label/CoA.
• Autoclave at 121 °C for 15 min. Cool to ~45–50 °C.
• Optionally dry sterile Petri dishes in a laminar flow hood to minimize condensation. Pour plates to a consistent depth (e.g., ~20–25 mL for 90-mm plates, per lab practice). Allow to solidify. Store as recommended.

2. Sample inoculation

• Streak plates for isolation using sterile loops or spread measured volumes for enumeration, per SOP. Include positive and negative control organisms.

3. Incubation

• Incubate inverted plates at 35–37 °C for 24–48 h (or as required by your method). Avoid excessive moisture buildup.

4. Reading and interpretation

• Examine colony morphology and color; check for diffusible pigments (blue-green) and fluorescence under long-wave UV (365 nm) for pyoverdine (where applicable). Record results.
• Perform confirmatory tests (e.g., oxidase, biochemical panels, MALDI-TOF, or PCR) per SOP.

5. Disposal

• Autoclave used plates before disposal according to institutional biosafety procedures.

Always verify details (g/L, pH targets, performance criteria) on the product’s CoA and follow your laboratory’s validated methods.

Biological Roles

This section addresses the biological function of the medium’s key components in culture (general literature context; not item-specific specs):

• Selective agent (cetrimide, quaternary ammonium compound): Disrupts bacterial membranes, inhibiting many Gram-positive and some Gram-negative organisms. Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows relative resistance, enabling selective isolation on cetrimide-containing agar.
• Nutrient base (peptones/digests, literature): Provide peptides, amino acids, and growth factors required for aerobic non-fastidious bacteria.
• Inorganic salts (e.g., magnesium and sulfate in common formulas, literature): Can enhance the production of pigments such as pyocyanin (blue-green) and pyoverdine (yellow-green fluorescent siderophore), aiding presumptive identification.
• Agar: Serves as an inert gelling agent forming a solid surface suitable for colony separation and morphology assessment.

Observed biological phenomena on this medium (literature):

• Colony morphology of P. aeruginosa: Often flat, irregular margins, may produce a characteristic grape-like odor and diffusible pigments. Under UV illumination (~365 nm), pyoverdine fluoresces yellow-green; pyocyanin may impart a blue-green color—expression is strain- and condition-dependent.
• Suppression of competing flora: Reduces overgrowth from organisms that might otherwise mask Pseudomonas recovery in heterogeneous samples.

Note: Phenotypic observations are presumptive. Definitive identification requires confirmatory biochemical, mass spectrometric, or molecular tests per your SOPs. The exact formulation of this item should be verified on its CoA.

Buffer Applications

This product is a selective culture medium rather than a defined buffering reagent. It is not typically used to prepare analytical buffer systems.

• Practical note: The prepared medium possesses an intrinsic pH range set by its formulation; altering pH outside the intended range can impair selectivity and organism recovery. If your method requires pH adjustment, follow the product label and method standard strictly.

For buffer preparation needs (e.g., electrophoresis, enzyme assays), choose dedicated buffering systems (phosphate, Tris, HEPES, etc.) rather than microbiological media.

Green Alternatives

For microbiological media, sustainability considerations center on energy, water use, packaging, and waste rather than solvent replacement.

• Energy and water efficiency:

  • Prepare only the volume needed to minimize waste of water and autoclave energy. Use smaller, efficient autoclave cycles when permitted by SOPs.
  • Consider validated dry heat or alternative sterilization only if compatible with the medium (most agar media require moist heat; verify via method/CoA).

• Waste minimization:

  • Plate as needed and store at recommended conditions to reduce discard of expired plates.
  • Consolidate biohazard waste autoclave runs to improve load efficiency. Neutralize disinfectants to reduce chemical load where regulations permit.

• Packaging and logistics:

  • Dehydrated media reduce shipping weight relative to prepared plates, lowering transport emissions. Purchase pack sizes aligned with usage to limit repeated shipments and potential expiry.

• Alternatives/comparison (literature, general):

  • Cetrimide agar vs. broader-spectrum selective media: Selecting the most specific medium for your target organism reduces repeat testing and resource consumption.
  • Ready-to-use plates vs. in-house pouring: RTU plates save energy on-site but may increase shipping volume/time sensitivity; in-house pouring can use local resources but demands autoclave energy. Choose based on your facility’s efficiency and QA needs.

These are general sustainability practices and not product specifications.

Pharmaceutical Uses

No therapeutic or clinical use is intended. For research use only (per item data).

Relevant roles in pharmaceutical/industrial laboratories (general, literature):

• Environmental monitoring and utilities testing: Selective recovery of Pseudomonas spp., especially P. aeruginosa, from water systems and surfaces as part of facility hygiene and risk assessments.
• Raw material and process QC: Screening for Pseudomonas contamination in non-sterile product manufacturing per internal SOPs or compendial guidance when applicable.
• Method verification/validation: Used to demonstrate selectivity, growth promotion (for target organisms), and inhibitory properties (for non-target organisms) during microbiological method validation.

Compliance considerations:

• Use media that meet the performance criteria of applicable pharmacopeial or regulatory methods (e.g., growth-promotion testing with specified challenge strains). Consult the lot-specific CoA for performance test results.

Note: This information describes laboratory/formulation QC contexts and does not imply medical, diagnostic, or therapeutic application.

Physical Properties

• Appearance: Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. (Dehydrated media are typically free-flowing powders or granules, literature.)
• Solubility: Designed to be reconstituted in purified/deionized water (literature). Not intended for organic solvents.
• pH (prepared medium): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. (Cetrimide agar is commonly adjusted near neutral to slightly alkaline, literature.)
• Melting/boiling point, density, refractive index, logP, pKa: Not applicable to a complex, hydrated gelled medium; not specified for this item.
• Color (prepared plates): Not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet. (Often pale to amber after sterilization, literature.)

Prepared medium behavior (general, literature):

• Forms a firm gel upon cooling due to agar setting (typical gelation ~35–40 °C; melting ~85–90 °C, literature for standard agar).
• Autoclave-stable for routine sterilization cycles (121 °C, 15 min, literature). Repeated autoclaving is discouraged due to nutrient and agar degradation (general practice).
• Typical working volume and plate thickness influence colony morphology and pigment visualization; use consistent pour temperature (~45–50 °C, literature) to minimize condensation and surface defects.

Important: Exact reconstitution mass per liter, target pH after sterilization, and appearance for this specific item are not provided here and must be taken from the product label/CoA. Do not treat literature remarks as specifications.

Quality and Grades

• Item-specific grade: BioReagent (as provided).

What BioReagent grade generally implies (context, not a spec):

• Intended for laboratory and research use, including microbiology workflows. Emphasis on consistent performance characteristics suitable for culture work, QC environments, and method development.
• Typically produced under controlled conditions with defined in-process checks for performance attributes (e.g., selectivity and growth promotion testing against representative strains), though the exact QA/QC tests for this item are not specified here and should be confirmed on the CoA.

Performance considerations for cetrimide agar media (general, literature):

• Selectivity: Inhibits many Gram-positive and some Gram-negative bacteria due to cationic surfactant; supports growth of Pseudomonas spp., especially P. aeruginosa.
• Differentiation: Formulation salts (e.g., magnesium and sulfate, literature) can enhance pigment production (pyocyanin/pyoverdine) that aids identification under white/UV light.

Documentation to consult for this specific item:

• CoA/Spec Sheet: For the exact formulation, recommended reconstitution mass per liter, target pH (at 25 °C), and performance testing results (e.g., growth-promotion and inhibitory organisms).
• SDS: For hazard classification and safe handling.

Note: Do not construe literature descriptions as guaranteed specifications. Use the lot-specific CoA to verify performance parameters required by your application or regulatory context.

Reaction and Applications

Chemical reaction chemistry is not the focus for this product. Instead, its laboratory application is microbiological:

• Primary application (literature): Selective isolation and presumptive identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from environmental, industrial, and research samples. The cationic surfactant suppresses many competing organisms, while salts can favor characteristic pigment production.
• Typical workflows (general):
  • Direct plating of samples or swab eluates onto prepared cetrimide agar plates.
  • Enrichment in non-selective broth followed by streaking onto cetrimide agar for selective recovery.
  • Confirmation via oxidase testing, fluorescence under UV (pyoverdine), blue-green pigment (pyocyanin, not universal), and additional biochemical/genomic tests as dictated by SOPs.
• Performance considerations (literature):
  • Incubation at 35–37 °C for 24–48 h is common; some strains/pigment expression may require extended incubation or alternate temperatures.
  • Magnesium and sulfate ions (where present) may enhance pigment production aiding differentiation.
  • Excessive surface moisture can cause swarming or ambiguous colony morphology; use well-dried plates.
• Quality control organisms (example, literature): Pseudomonas aeruginosa (growth/pigment), Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition).

Note: The above reflects common literature practices and is not a specification for this item. Always follow method-specific standards (e.g., pharmacopeial, water testing, or in-house SOPs) and confirm with the item’s CoA.

Reaction Conditions

Chemical reaction conditions are not relevant. The operational “conditions” here refer to microbiological incubation and sterilization parameters (general literature guidance; not item-specific specs):

• Reconstitution: Dissolve the specified mass of dehydrated medium (per label/CoA) in purified water with stirring. Heat to ensure complete dissolution.
• Sterilization: Autoclave at 121 °C for 15 minutes (standard microbiology practice). Do not over-sterilize to avoid degradation of nutrients and agar. Allow to cool to ~45–50 °C before pouring plates.
• Incubation (typical for Pseudomonas recovery): 35–37 °C for 24–48 h in aerobic conditions. Some strains may require longer incubation or alternative temperatures depending on method.
• Observation: Inspect for colony morphology, pigment production, and fluorescence under UV (365 nm) where appropriate.

Quality controls (literature examples):

• Positive control: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (growth and pigment/fluorescence as applicable).
• Negative controls: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (inhibition/poor growth).

Note: Exact preparation mass per liter, target pH, and validated organisms for performance testing for this specific item are not provided here. Follow your SOPs and the lot-specific CoA.

Safety and Handling

• GHS classification, Signal Word, H/P-statements, and Pictograms: Not specified for this item; refer to the SDS for authoritative safety information.

General safety considerations (literature/practice):

• Cetrimide (a cationic quaternary ammonium compound) is an irritant and harmful if ingested or in contact with eyes/skin; avoid dust formation and inhalation during weighing. Handle dehydrated media in a fume hood or well-ventilated area.
• PPE: Laboratory coat, safety glasses or face shield, and appropriate gloves (e.g., nitrile). Use a dust mask/respirator if airborne particulates may be generated (consult SDS).
• Incompatibilities: Strong oxidizers and anionic surfactants/detergents may reduce the selective action of cationic agents (general). Avoid mixing with disinfectants that could inactivate selective components before sterilization.
• First aid (general): In case of eye/skin contact, rinse with water for several minutes; remove contaminated clothing. If inhaled, move to fresh air. If ingested, rinse mouth; seek medical attention. Always follow facility SOPs and SDS guidance.
• Microbiological risk: Once prepared and inoculated, plates contain viable microorganisms. Treat all used media as biohazardous waste. Decontaminate by autoclaving before disposal per institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Thermal hazards: Boiling and autoclaving present scald/burn risks; use heat-resistant gloves and face protection when handling hot media/pressure vessels.

Always defer to the product’s SDS and your institution’s biosafety policies for definitive handling and disposal instructions.

Solvent Selection

This product is a dehydrated microbiological medium formulated to be reconstituted in water.

• Primary solvent: Purified/deionized water (ASTM/Type II–III or better per facility SOP). Organic solvents are not appropriate.
• Ionic strength and pH: Achieved by the medium’s intrinsic salts and buffering capacity; adjust only if your method or standard requires it. Over-adjustment can compromise selectivity.
• Dissolution tips (general, literature):
  • Add medium to cold or room-temperature water with stirring to minimize clumping; gradual addition helps wetting.
  • Gentle heating to near-boiling can be used to fully dissolve agar components before sterilization.
  • Avoid prolonged boiling which may caramelize or degrade nutrients.

Comparison to related media (general):

• Cetrimide agar vs. non-selective agar (e.g., TSA, NA): choose cetrimide agar when selective recovery of Pseudomonas, especially P. aeruginosa, is desired; use non-selective media for total count or resuscitation.
• Cetrimide agar vs. Pseudomonas isolation agar: both are selective; specific salt and nutrient profiles differ by standard, influencing pigment production and recovery. Select based on your method (e.g., pharmacopeial, food/water testing standards) and required inclusivity/exclusivity.

Note: Exact water volume per mass (g/L) for this item is not specified here; follow the product label/CoA.

Storage and Reconstitution

• Storage conditions (item-specific): Room temperature (per Product Data). Protect from moisture; keep container tightly closed to prevent caking and potency loss. Store away from acids/bases and incompatible chemicals per SDS.
• Shipping: Normal (per Product Data).

Reconstitution and sterilization (general literature guidance; not a specification for this item):

• Reconstitution: Add the specified mass of dehydrated medium (per label/CoA) to purified/deionized water with continuous stirring. Gentle heating facilitates dissolution.
• Sterilization: Autoclave at 121 °C for 15 minutes. Do not over-autoclave. After sterilization, cool to ~45–50 °C before pouring plates to minimize condensation and avoid thermal shock to containers.
• pH: Target pH (at 25 °C), if specified, should be verified on the CoA. Adjust only if directed.

Prepared media storage (general):

• Store poured plates inverted in sealed sleeves or containers at 2–8 °C or as dictated by your SOP and the stability data for your preparation. Avoid freezing. Bring to room temperature before use to prevent condensation.
• Shelf life of prepared plates varies by lab conditions and packaging. Monitor for dehydration, contamination, or performance drift via routine QC organisms.

Note: Where exact preparation mass per liter, target pH, and hold times are critical, defer to the product label and lot-specific CoA. This product is for research use only.

Structure and Identity

This product is a formulated, dehydrated microbiological culture medium designed for the selective cultivation of Pseudomonas spp., especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As a complex mixture, it does not have a single molecular structure.

• Item-specific identifiers:

  • SKU: C1528328
  • Product Name: Cetrimide Agar Medium
  • Grade/Purity: BioReagent
  • CAS, CID, InChIKey, SMILES: Not applicable to complex media; not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.
  • Molecular formula and molecular weight: Not applicable to mixtures; not specified for this item; refer to CoA/Spec Sheet.

• Structural/functional features (general, literature):

  • Contains a quaternary ammonium compound (cetrimide, literature) serving as a selective agent against competing flora.
  • Typically includes peptones (complex nitrogen/carbon sources), inorganic salts (e.g., magnesium and sulfate), and agar as a gelling agent (literature). Exact composition and concentrations vary by manufacturer/specification.
  • The “structure” is best described as a heterogeneous blend of organic nutrients, salts, and selective agent(s) rather than a discrete molecule.

• 2D description in words (general):

  • No single 2D structure is applicable. Key functional classes (literature): quaternary ammonium surfactant (cationic), amino acid/peptide fragments (from peptones), carbohydrates/complex organics, and polysaccharide agar matrix. These components collectively provide selectivity, nutrients, and a solid growth surface.

Note: Where specific formulation details are required, consult the item’s label and CoA. Any component list above is provided as typical literature context only and is not a specification for this item.

Synthetic Utility

Not applicable in the context of chemical synthesis. Cetrimide Agar Medium is a complex microbiological culture medium, not a discrete reagent for performing organic or inorganic transformations.

• For users planning synthetic chemistry: Refer to pure solvents, catalysts, and building blocks suited to your reaction class. This medium does not function as a reagent, catalyst, or solvent for chemical synthesis.

For relevant details, see sections on Reaction & Applications (microbiological) and Application Protocols.

Target Specificity

This section normally applies to biological affinity reagents (e.g., antibodies) and is not applicable to a culture medium.

• Contextual note (literature): Cetrimide agar is selective for Pseudomonas spp., particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa, by inhibitory action against many competing bacteria. This is microbiological selectivity rather than molecular target specificity.

No antigen/epitope/clone/isotype information pertains to this product.

Foire aux questions

How should this product be stored?

Store at room temperature.