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Research Paper | Microbiology | India | Volume 13 Issue 4, April 2024 | Rating: 5.6 / 10
Defibrinated vs. Citrated Blood Agar: Assessing the Impact of Blood Form on Bacterial Growth and Morphology
Prejish C | Jomol P J | Amal Jayadev | Anakha Vijayan | Bernaitis L
Abstract: Blood agar plates are a cornerstone in microbiology for cultivating and characterizing bacteria. This study investigated the impact of blood processing methods (defibrinated vs. citrated) on bacterial growth and morphology when cultured on sheep blood agar plates. Both defibrinated and citrated blood agar supported bacterial viability for all tested strains (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus pyogenes). Hemolysis patterns, a key factor in bacterial identification, remained consistent between the two blood agar types for most strains, exhibiting alpha hemolysis (Streptococcus pneumoniae), beta hemolysis (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes), and gamma hemolysis (Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli). While all strains grew on both media, subtle variations in colony size, opacity, and surface texture were observed, particularly for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes colonies on defibrinated blood agar (shinier and more opaque, respectively). These findings suggest that both blood agar types can be suitable for routine bacterial culture, although defibrinated blood agar might offer advantages for detailed colony morphology analysis. Future studies could explore a broader range of bacterial species and quantify colony morphology variations to further elucidate the influence of blood processing methods. This study can contribute valuable insights into optimizing blood agar preparation for reliable and consistent bacterial analysis in clinical laboratories.
Keywords: Sheep blood agar, Defibrinated sheep blood, Citrated blood, Hemolysis
Edition: Volume 13 Issue 4, April 2024,
Pages: 1083 - 1088