HEKTOEN ENTERIC AGAR PLATE

Description

Hektoen Enteric Agar Plate was developed in 1967 by King and Metzger of the Hektoen Institute in order to increase the frequencies of isolation of Shigella and Salmonella organisms as compared from other media that were frequently utilized in clinical laboratories at that time. In this medium, sodium deoxycholate has been replaced by bile salts in reduced concentration. This allows growth of Shigella as well as the Salmonellae. The peptone concentrations have been increased in order to offset the inhibitory effects of the bile salts. Hektoen Enteric Agar is currently recommended as one of several plating media for the culture of Enterobacteriaceae from stool specimens. Foods containing poultry, eggs or dairy products are the most frequent vehicles for foodborne Salmonellosis, and a variety of procedures have been developed using Hektoen Enteric Agar as part of the multi-step procedure to isolate Salmonella. This medium is recommended by United States Pharmacopoeia, 2009 for testing the presence of Salmonella in dietary supplements. This medium is also recommended in testing of Shigella in food sample by various standards like ISO 21567.