HEKTOEN ENTERIC AGAR MEDIUM (as per USP)

Hektoen Enteric Agar, a selective and differential medium designed to isolate and differentiate members of the species Salmonella and Shigella from other Enterobacteriaceae and was developed by King and Metzger. When compared with other selective medium, this medium inhibits the growth of Salmonella and Shigella very slightly; thus giving high yields of these microorganisms, but at the same time inhibits accompanying gram positive and other microorganisms. This medium is recommended by United States Pharmacopoeia, 2009 for testing the presence of Salmonella in dietary supplements. This medium is recommended in testing of Salmonella in food sample by various standards Compared to other differentiating media commonly used in clinical laboratories, Hektoen Enteric Agar is efficient in increasing the isolation rate of Salmonella sp.

for di?erential and selective isolation of Salmonella and Shigella species from enteric pathological specimens