Reinforced Clostridial Medium (Difco)
Reinforced Clostridial Medium is used for cultivating and enumerating clostridia, other anaerobes, and other species of bacteria from foods and clinical specimens.
Meets United States Pharmacopeia (USP), European Pharmacopoeia (EP) and Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP)1-3 performance specifications, where applicable.
Principles
Reinforced Clostridial Medium contains peptone and beef extract as sources of carbon, nitrogen, vitamins and minerals. Yeast extract supplies B-complex vitamins which stimulate bacterial growth. Dextrose is the carbohydrate source. Sodium chloride maintains the osmotic balance. In low concentrations, soluble starch detoxifies metabolic by-products. Cysteine HCl is the reducing agent. Sodium acetate acts as a buffer. The small amount of agar makes the medium semisolid.
Reinforced Clostridial Medium (RCM) supports cultivation and enumeration of clostridia and other anaerobes from food and clinical samples. Meets USP, EP, and JP standards. Cysteine HCl reducing agent creates anaerobic conditions. Low agar concentration (semisolid) supports motile anaerobes and prevents oxygen diffusion. Essential for food safety labs testing canned goods, vacuum-packed products, and low-oxygen food environments. Incubate 48-72 hours at 35-37C under anaerobic conditions. Sign in to your account or contact your sales rep for organizational pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is cysteine HCl added?
It's a reducing agent that lowers oxygen potential, creating anaerobic conditions for Clostridium growth.
Can this be used for food and clinical samples?
Yes, formulated for both food and clinical anaerobic testing.
What is the semisolid consistency for?
Allows motile anaerobes to migrate and prevents oxygen diffusion at the surface.
