High grade Polymyxin Pyruvate Egg Yolk Mannitol Bromothymol Blue Agar Base (PEMBA) is supplied by Micromaster. It is available in the form of a cream to greenish yellow homogeneous free flowing powder with a pH in the range of 7.2 to 7.6. For maximum efficiency, it must be stored below 30C in tightly closed container.

Quantity provided: 500g /pack

Polymyxin Pyruvate Egg Yolk Mannitol Bromothymol Blue Agar Base (PEMBA) is used for the cultivation of Bacillus cereus. Bacillus cereus is an aerobic, spore-forming bacteria which causes food poisoning, eye infections and a wide range of other clinical conditions. This media is formulated as per Holbrook and Anderson and is a highly specific, selective medium for the isolation and enumeration of B. cereus from food. Selectivity is attained with polymyxin and a critical concentration of nutrients. The low peptone content in the medium promotes sporulation and sodium pyruvate reduces the colony size of the organisms. Egg yolk emulsion demonstrates the strong lecithinase opacity reaction. Bromothymol blue acts as pH indicator to detect mannitol fermentation. Addition of polymyxin B sulphate at a concentration of 100 units per ml of medium is sufficient to make the medium selective for the isolation of B. cereus. Cycloheximide (4mg/ l) may be used to inhibit the growth of moulds. Some strains of B. cereus have very weak egg yolk reaction. Moreover, on this medium B. cereus is indistinguishable from B. thuringiensis. B. cereus forms crenated blue colonies surrounded by a zone of opacity in the medium.