Presence of lactose and sucrose in medium reduces incidence of false positive results. Used to recover Salmonella and Shigella.
Description:
DCLS Agar medium is a modification of a formula described by Leifson for the isolation of Enteric pathogens. The addition of both lactose and sucrose in the formula reduces the incidence of false positive results since slow lactose fermenters ferment sucrose readily. The production of acid from the sugar fermentations lowers the pH of the medium and is detected by neutral red. The colony fermenting the sugar takes on a red or deep red color. It is a selective medium because it contains sodium citrate and sodium deoxycholate which inhibit the growth of Gram positive bacteria.
Storage:
Store the sealed bottle containing the dehydrated medium at 2 to 30.0 degrees C. Once opened and recapped, place the container in a low humidity environment at the same storage temperature. Protect it from moisture and light. The dehydrated medium should be discarded if it is not free flowing or if the color has changed from the original light pinkish-beige color.