Natamycin as a fungicide in agar media.
Fungal inhibition in four commonly used agar media was improved by substituting natamycin (pimaricin) for cycloheximide. The recovery of bacteria was not affected by natamycin, whereas fungal contamination from a variety of samples was significantly suppressed. Furthermore, natamycin lacks the occupational health hazards of cycloheximide. Medium-dependent natamycin degradation occurred during the preparation and refrigerated storage of agar plates, but the addition of natamycin at 21.6 mug/ml resulted in effective residual activity.
Pedersen
J C
JC
Department of Marine Ecology and Microbiology, National Environmental Research Institute, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.