MSC is delighted to announce the launch of SIM Agar, for the confirmation of Clostridium perfringens, a key tool in microbial identification now available from our partner BIOKAR Diagnostics.
What is SIM Agar?
SIM (Sulfite, Indole, Motility) Agar medium was developed to comply with the new standard ISO 15213-2 for enumerating Clostridium perfringens in food, feed, environmental samples, and primary production samples.
SIM Agar is used as a conformation medium for Clostridium perfringens enumeration. It is used after purification, on blood agar or nutrient agar, of presumptive colonies isolated on TSC Agar.
Why test for clostridium perfringens?
Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic Gram-positive spore-forming bacillus associated with acute gastrointestinal infections ranging in severity. This pathogen has many toxins responsible for disease pathogenesis and can form spores resistant to environmental stress. Capable of surviving cooking temperatures; it can proliferate in foods that are improperly stored. Outbreaks are commonly associated with improperly heated or reheated gravy, poultry, or meats which emphasises the importance of detection.
How SIM Agar works
The principle of this medium is based off sulfide production, which, when combined with iron ions forms a sulfide precipitate. It is also based on indole formulation and motility. The presence of indole in the medium highlights the transformation of tryptophan in the presence of tryptophanase. By adding Kovacs reagent to the medium, the appearance of a red ring on the surface indicates the presence of indole. Results can be obtained after 22 +/- 2 hours of anaerobic incubation at 37 +/- 1˚C.
Media available in dehydrated and ready-to-use formats:
- Ready-to-use media: 50 tubes of 10ml ……. BM24108
- Dehydrated media: 500g ………………………..BK241ha
If your laboratory would like to discuss SIM Agar in more detail, please reach out to our product specialists below.
