A New Modified Nutrient Media for Cultivation of Actinobacteria

The growth of Actinobacteria was evaluated in a new modified nutrient agar media (MNA) supplemented with 1% sodium chloride (NaCl) and compared with the universally accepted media which are under regular use. Thirteen different Actinobacterial isolates were evaluated for their growth in both solid and liquid media in MNA along with four regularly used media ISP-2, kenknight, starch casein and nutrient media. Results indicated that eight isolates (Streptomyces bulli, Streptomyces griseorubens, Streptomyces viridobrunneus, Streptomyces A3, Streptomyces A7, Streptomyces A11, Streptomyces A12 and Streptomyces A13), out of thirteen isolates could grow significantly faster on MNA compared with other solid agar media. Similarly, growth in liquid media recorded by optical density (OD) indicated that three isolates (S. griseorubens, S. viridobrunneus and A7) showed significantly higher OD followed by ISP-2, nutrient, starch casein and kenknight broth after seven days of incubation. All the isolates except S. viridobrunneus and Streptomyces A12 could tolerate NaCl concentration upto 6% in liquid modified nutrient broth. The present study showed that Actinobacteria can be successfully grown faster with full pigmentation at 1% NaCl concentration and they can tolerate up to 5% NaCl concentration, in the new proposed MNA media.