title: Natamycin as a fungicide in agar media.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Ecology and Microbiology, National Environmental Research Institute, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pedersen